Republican lawmakers are once again pushing legislation that would require Missouri to conduct a clinical study on using psilocybin, more commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms,” to treat depression, substance use or as part end-of-life care.
Last year, the House overwhelmingly approved the measure. But it never made it to a final House vote.
Hearings on versions of the bill will take place in both the House and Senate this week.
In the House Veterans Committee on Tuesday, Republican Rep. Aaron McMullen of Independence plans to present an amended version of the bill that would limit its scope to only veterans.
The suicide rate among veterans in Missouri is nearly double the state rate and one of the highest in the country.
“Substance abuse and suicide are escalating in the veterans community,” McMullen, a veteran who served in a combat unit in Afghanistan, told The Independent. “While psilocybin is not a panacea for every issue, it represents a first true scientifically-validated hope that we have to address this crisis.”
A day later, Republican Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder will present an identically amended bill to that chamber’s Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.
“Many of our veterans experience high amounts of PTSD due to serving their country – due to protecting us,” she said. “There should be no limits for them when it comes to access to mental health treatment, including non-pharmacological treatments.”
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