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Tess Bettler, a lobbyist for biotech company Compass Pathways, testifies before the Kansas House health committee on Feb. 11, 2025, on a bill that would preemptively legalize a psilocybin pill if certain federal changes occur. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of the Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)
The Lawrence Times
TOPEKA — A biotech company is attempting to persuade Kansas legislators to modify the state’s controlled substances act in advance of a possible new psychedelic treatment.
A lobbyist requested House Bill 2218 on behalf of Compass Pathways. The company is currently overseeing a synthetic psilocybin drug meant for remedying treatment-resistant depression. The drug is in the final phase of clinical trials, the last step before applying for approval from the Federal Drug Administration.
Psilocybin, the psychedelic component found in “magic mushrooms,” has shown promising results in treating certain mental health conditions, and Compass Pathways is among a dozen other companies conducting research on the drug.
“This bill does not decriminalize or legalize psilocybin or any other psychedelic substance, nor does this bill allow access to drugs that have not been FDA-approved,” said Tess Bettler, a representative from Compass Pathways, in written testimony to the House health committee.
The bill would specifically legalize Compass Pathways’ drug, a 25 mg pill capsule called COMP 360, ensuring the company has a path to bringing the drug to Kansas doctors’ offices if it becomes FDA-approved. The proposed legislation would exempt any FDA-approved form of psilocybin from the state’s controlled substances act.
“Unless and until an FDA-approved and DEA-rescheduled product is also rescheduled in Kansas, patients will not have access to it,” Bettler wrote.
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Biotech company testing psilocybin pill requests preemptive change in Kansas law
