The Three Bills
On March 8th, 2023, three bills were filed by Texas lawmakers to expand state-sponsored research on psychedelic therapy. These bills are HB 4288, HB 4289, and HB 4290. Let’s take a closer look at each of these bills.
HB 4288
HB 4288, filed by Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, would establish a program to study the therapeutic use of psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine in treating mental health disorders. The program would be overseen by the Texas Department of State Health Services and would require the agency to establish rules and regulations for the use of these substances in therapy. The bill would also provide funding for research into the therapeutic use of psychedelics.
HB 4289
HB 4289, also filed by Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, would allow licensed healthcare professionals, including nurse practitioners, to administer ketamine to treat mental health disorders. Currently, ketamine can only be administered by licensed physicians in Texas. This bill would expand access to ketamine treatment by allowing nurse practitioners and other licensed healthcare professionals to administer the drug.
HB 4290
HB 4290, filed by Rep. Richard Peña Raymond and Rep. James White, would allow the possession of MDMA for use in clinical trials and research studies. Under current Texas law, the possession of MDMA is illegal, even for research purposes. This bill would allow researchers to legally possess MDMA for the purpose of conducting clinical trials and research studies.
Read more at
https://beardbrospharms.com/2023/03/20/three-new-psychedelic-research-bills-filed-in-texas/
