Could synthetic psilocybin be the next big thing in mental health? Colorado thinks so.
A new bill being considered in the state legislature opens the door to more medical use of psychedelics after magic mushrooms were decriminalized in 2022
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A state bill that could allow for synthetic psilocybin to be prescribed in Colorado cleared a key committee hearing on Tuesday at the Capitol.
Psilocybin, the active component in psychedelic or “magic” mushrooms, is already legal for medical use in the state . The move paved the way for licensed healing centers where patients seeking care for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues 鈥� along with terminal illnesses 鈥斅燾ould consume psychedelic mushrooms in a controlled setting.聽
Colorado and Oregon are the only states where possessing, sharing and consuming psychedelic mushrooms is legal.
Now, seeks to push Colorado’s acceptance of psychedelic medicine a step further by allowing for synthetic psilocybin to be prescribed, if it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The federal agency in June 2023 permitted drug makers to begin studying psilocybin as a potential treatment for medical conditions and mental health disorders, issuing its initial.
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The use of psilocybin as a mental health treatment continues to garner support from academic and medical researchers from institutions like , and.
“We in Colorado have a history of making sure that we are trying to expand access to mental health care,” Louisville Democrat Kyle Brown, one of the bill’s sponsors, said during Tuesday’s House committee hearing.
“This bill makes sure that when a product 鈥� a (synthetic) psilocybin 鈥� is approved by the FDA 鈥� that those products would then be available as soon as possible to Coloradans,” he said.
Rep. Anthony Hartsook (R-Parker), another bill sponsor, said the legislation provides another tool for health care providers to treat severe mental health issues, especially for patients who haven’t found success with other medicines.
The committee approved the bill on a bipartisan 12-1 vote.
Littleton Republican Rep. Brandi Bradley was the only no vote, telling the bill sponsors that, as a health care worker, she still has questions about psilocybin’s effectiveness as a treatment.
“I need to understand statistical evidence that this is actually working, that we’re not just creating another treatment just to provide another treatment,” Bradley said. “Because this is bringing something major to the table.”
Bradley said she could still be open to supporting the measure on the House floor, if provided with more data.
The legislation now heads to the House for a full chamber vote.
