What To Read This Week
1. NEW POLL: Most Voters Support Removing Federal Penalties For Psychedelics.
Even as states like Colorado and Oregon allow regulated access to psychedelic medicine, and the evidence for the efficacy of psychedelics for treating a range of serious mental health conditions mounts, access to psychedelic medicines remains illegal under federal law.
But voters appear ready to change that: A new poll from Breakthrough Bulletin found that a majority of voters—53 percent—support changing federal law to remove criminal penalties for possession of psychedelic substances. Just 29% of voters oppose the law change. That means net support for removing criminal penalties at the federal level sits at +24. Notably, this includes majority support from Democrats and Independents and plurality support from Republicans. [Methodology]
Related: Earlier this month, members of the U.S. House of Representatives announced the relaunch of the bipartisan Congressional Psychedelics Advancing Therapies Caucus, formed to evaluate the clinical research demonstrating the promise that psychedelic treatment has for various mental health conditions. Republican Jack Bergman of Michigan, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general and co-chair of the PATH Caucus, underscored that “psychedelic assisted therapies have shown incredible promise to combat the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, medication resistant depression, and substance use disorder.”
2. New Psychedelics-Related Bills Announced.
Lawmakers in Rhode Island and Connecticut introduced psychedelics-related legislation this week, here’s a breakdown of both bills:
Rhode Island. “Inspired by Oregon's [psilocybin measure] in 2020, [the] legislation would let Rhode Islanders use the drug and allow mental health professionals to prescribe it as a treatment,” Patrick Anderson reported for The Providence Journal. The bill, if passed, would allow adults to possess a small amount of psilocybin. The Rhode Island bill would allow access to psilocybin treatment in lockstep with FDA approval.
Connecticut. Lawmakers in Connecticut are considering a bill that would decriminalize the personal possession of small amounts of psilocybin by adults. This bill arrives on the heels of new regulations, signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont last year, that paved the way for psychedelic treatment centers across the state.
ICYMI: Here’s a Breakthrough Bulletin rundown of the most promising psychedelic medicine related legislative proposals this year.
3. Oregon Begins To Issue Psilocybin Treatment Licenses And Permits.
Regulators at Oregon Psilocybin Services, the branch of the health department that oversees implementation of the state’s psilocybin treatment program, hit a historic milestone this week—approving the state’s first licenses and work permits. Regulators have received almost 200 licenses and permit applications since the process began at the beginning of the year; and, as of Friday, more than 40 worker permits have already been approved, according to a weekly tracking report published by state regulators.
