A Florida lawmaker will file a bill next week that’s described as the first attempt to legalize therapies using psilocybin – the key component of hallucinogenic “magic mushrooms” – in a red state.
State Rep. Michael Grieco (D-Miami Beach) is planning to introduce the legislation, which would set up a system for medical professionals to treat patients who suffer from such ailments as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and addiction with psilocybin.
Grieco said he decided to take up the issue after reading numerous research articles about the treatment and seeing how lawmakers in Oregon set up a similar system for psilocybin therapies. The mental health patients who may benefit from the therapy include those with addiction, depression, anxiety dysfunctions and psychological maladies common at the end of life, according to supporters.
“I’ve been inundated with requests from universities and psychiatrists across the state,” Grieco told the Florida Record. “... I would love to see Florida at the cutting edge when it comes to addressing those issues.”
The potential of psilocybin therapy helping those with depression and PTSD could be especially good news for veterans, he said, and that possibility could draw support from Republicans for the bill. The effort would also dovetail with legislators’ desires to keep health care costs down in the state and thus reduce financial burdens on taxpayers, according to Grieco.
“The stigma of psychedelics is like the stigma attached to marijuana,” he said. “It stems from very backward thinking, some of it being from the policies of Richard Nixon. … It’s 2021, and it’s time to grow up.”
Although the final wording of the bill is still in flux, one component of the legislation would provide legal immunity for officials of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for decisions agency officials make in the future concerning psilocybin products.
Under the plan, a psilocybin advisory board would be set up within the Department of Agriculture to make recommendations on the rollout of the treatment procedures. The overall aim of the initiative would be to educate the public about the use of psilocybin in treating mental illness, assuring that future services and treatment would be safe and affordable, and creating a regulatory framework for psilocybin products to help adults.
The mushroom ingredient would be confined to medical treatment settings, according to Grieco.
“We’re not seeking to expand into recreational use,” he said.