JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri House gave preliminary approval Wednesday to legislation that could someday lead to the legalization of psilocybin mushrooms.
The proposal, which needs a second vote in the chamber before it moves to the Senate, would launch a study into the therapeutic potential of certain psychedelic drugs, including those contained in so-called “magic mushrooms.â€
The bill sponsored by Rep. Dan Houx, R-Warrensburg, would authorize a study between the state and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to determine whether psilocybin, ketamine and other alternative therapies can help treat various mental conditions among military veterans.
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“It allows people to go have limited dosages of this and recover from PTSD,†Houx said. “It’s a very tight clinical study.â€
Researchers could look at the benefits of the drugs on military veterans who also suffer from depression and substance abuse.
“I do think it’s a positive thing for a veteran who is suffering from PTSD. If it helps one veteran, I think it’s something we ought to look at passing,†said Rep. Jerome Barnes, D-Kansas City.
As a military veteran, Rep. Aaron McMullen, R-Independence, urged his colleagues to support the studies by voting “yes.â€
The measure, however, faces an uncertain fate, even though the state has shown a willingness to expand access to drugs like cannabis via the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults.
Last year, Republican Gov. Mike Parson vetoed legislation that would have brought regulations to the sale of kratom.
Key to the Republican governor’s decision was the lack of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the substance.
Kratom is a plant grown in Southeast Asia that affects the same opioid brain receptors as morphine. It is often used as a dietary supplement for pain relief and a natural alternative to treat opioid withdrawal, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other health conditions.
In addition, a House committee last year left mushrooms out of its final report on how Missouri can address suicides among military veterans, signaling the issue may still be uncomfortable among Republicans who control state government.
But, Rep. Dave Griffith, R-Jefferson City, who chaired the committee, said stories told by veterans after they received the treatments convinced him to support the idea.
“This is something we opened the door to,†Griffith said.
The legislation is .
Missouri's Legislature reflects the federal structure in many ways. Video by Beth O'Malley
Kurt Erickson • 573-556-6181 @KurtEricksonPD on Twitter kerickson@post-dispatch.com
