Psychedelics Reform Update: NV, MA, RI, OR, CA, And Kentucky's $42M Research Budget

Several states are moving psychedelics reform bills through committees and chambers, a quick update as of June 2 shows:

• Nevada: Amended SB 242 creating a psychedelics working group toward state-regulated access for medic, therapeutic and wellness purposes was greenlighted by the Senate on May 29 and is now heading toward the Assembly, as reported by Marijuana Moment.

See also: Weed Rules For Recruits In Nevada, No More Searches Based On Pot Smell In MD And More Cannabis Reg Updates

• Massachusetts: Both HB 3605 establishing procedures for granting facilitators licenses within a framework of legal medical, therapeutic and spiritual use of psilocybin and HB 3574 establishing a cost cap of $5,000 for MDMA-assisted therapy will face a hearing on June 6.

• Rhode Island: S 0806 amending state law to legalize possession of less than 1 ounce of psilocybin and residential cultivation for personal use is to face a hearing on June 1 at the Senate’s Judiciary Committee. 

• Oregon: SB 303 requiring an effective date for psilocybin service centers and facilitators to collect and report data on clients, adverse events and other related information, first introduced on Jan. 9, was signed by both the Senate president and House speaker and is now to face the Senate’s secretary before going to the governor’s desk, as reported Psychedelic Alpha.

• California: SB 58 legalizing the possession, preparation, transferring, transportation and facilitated use of a certain amount of a specified list of natural psychedelics has passed the Senate on May 24 and is to face the Assembly in an expedited path forward, as priorly reported Marijuana Moment.

Meanwhile, on May 31, Kentucky’s attorney general Daniel Cameron on behalf of the state’s Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission announced its plans for the first-ever distribution of no less than $42 million from the Opioid Settlement Fund toward psychedelics research.

Accompanied by high-ranking officials, military veterans, family members and advocate NGOs, the administrative commission referred to the potential of ibogaine for the treatment of opioid addiction. The funding would be provided over the next six years, reportedly for “the creation of public-private partnerships which can incubate, support and drive the development of ibogaine all the way through the [Food and Drug Administration] approval process.”

The obtention of the funding largely owes to campaigning and education by nonprofits Reason for Hope and Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition (VMHLC.)

See also: Federal Psychedelics Reform Has More Lobbyists, Addiction Research Grant & Upcoming $27M VA Report

Photo: Benzinga edit with photo by Alexander_Volkov and canbedone on Shutterstock.