Psychedelics Legislation Gains Momentum
Psychiatric News February 16, 2023 Terri D'Arrigo
Between January 2019 and September 2022, 25 U.S. states considered 74 bills to reform laws restricting psychedelic drugs; 10 bills became law in seven states. Most bills (90%) referenced psilocybin, and 36% also included MDMA. Among decriminalization bills, 51% called for legalizing possession for therapeutic or recreational use, while only 35% required training or licensure for prescribing. The authors note that the proposed laws largely contradict the federal Controlled Substances Act. Psychiatrists quoted in the article emphasize that psychedelics remain almost exclusively investigational and that rigorous scientific study and FDA approval should guide therapeutic use, not ballot initiatives.