Federal Update: Psychedelic Policy Review Demanded By Congressional Principals, Here's What's Happening

The most recent report for the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CSJ) produced by the House of Committee on Appropriations includes a novel section concerning psilocybin, where it demands a Government Accountability Office (GAO) analysis concerning state, local and tribal psilocybin programs’ limits. 

The increasing psychedelic reform movement in both local and state legislatures has triggered the request for a report to consider the impact of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) enforcement in jurisdictions with programs that incorporate psilocybin products whether for therapeutic use or as part of religious, Indigenous, or spiritual practices. 

More specifically, “The report shall: (1) review the impact of Controlled Substances Act enforcement on psilocybin use legally sanctioned by States, local governments, and Tribes; (2) identify barriers to accessing therapeutic use of psilocybin in States that have made such use legal under State law; (3) recommend ways to improve the processes used to obtain Federal authorization to conduct research with psilocybin-related substances; and (4) identify barriers to legal access to and use of psilocybin for religious, Indigenous, or spiritual practices under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”

Last week, the same Committee also released spending bills and reports which, among other issues, called for investigations into alternative treatments including psychedelics for PTSD, as reported by Marijuana Moment. 

It is still uncertain whether the Senate will accept any of the House-led drug policy proposals. On the other hand, Senate appropriators have not yet published their spending bills for Fiscal Year 2023, usually waiting for the House to enact them first. So which issues get passed in both chambers and are eventually adopted into law remains unclear.

Photo Courtesy of Elihaj Mears on Unsplash.