Utah Hospitals Will Soon Provide Psilocybin And MDMA Therapy For Mental Health Conditions

Providers at Utah's two largest healthcare systems may now treat patients with psilocybin and MDMA as part of a pilot program created by a proposal-turned-law that will take effect as early as May 1, 2024. 

The program, open to providers at the University of Utah Health and Intermountain Health, will last three years. Next, the Legislature will decide whether or not to resume it.

Physicians will be allowed to administer adult patients with psilocybin or MDMA in a medical facility. Yet the bill does not specify that hospitals can use these substances for treating conditions for which they have reached Phase 3 clinical trials – the last step before FDA approval, reported Filter Mag.

That will likely narrow down the administration of MDMA for PTSD, and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder. It's unclear whether the new law would allow doctors prescription flexibility for treating other conditions. 

Healthcare providers creating such treatment programs within their institutions must report to the legislature before July 2026 on the substances used, side effects, patients' outcomes and other information necessary for the Legislature to evaluate their medicinal value.

Some investors are expecting players in the biotech field like Numinus Wellness NUMIF to soon report whether they are commencing partnerships with the authorized parties in the state. 

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The bill defines the "healthcare system" as either "a privately-owned, non-profit, vertically-integrated healthcare system that operates at least 15 licensed hospitals in the state;" or a healthcare system "closely affiliated" with one of the specified institutions, effectively preventing smaller hospitals or healthcare facilities from participating.

See Also Psychedelics Update: Task Forces In Three States, Decrim No-Go, Arizona Psilocybin Centers, Utah And More

Background And Implementation Concerns

SB266's sponsor Sen. Kirk Cullimore (R) presented the proposal as a means to address Utah's growing mental health crisis. The state is seventh in terms of the number of adults with depression, while suicide is the leading cause of death for Utah residents ages 10-17 and 18-24.

The bill passed the Republican-dominated House and Senate and was sent to Gov. Spencer Cox (R) on March 12. On March 21, it became law in the Lieutenant Governor’s office without the governor's signature, although he did enable it to go into effect by not vetoing it.

Cox drew upon the bill's "overwhelming legislative support." He stated that while he is "generally supportive" of scientific efforts to discover the benefits of new substances that can relieve suffering, he was "disappointed" that the input by the state's psilocybin task force‘s -latest report showed evidence suggesting safety and effectiveness, yet lawmakers should hold until FDA approval was ignored, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

While both psilocybin and MDMA are still illegal, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has enabled fast-tracked clinical development on both in view of promising research showing their success in treating depression, anxiety and PTSD, among other mental health conditions.

Some have noticed certain potentially concerning omissions on the bill, including (the lack of) liability protection for doctors, considering hospitals and universities must typically adhere to federal regulations as first pointed out by Marijuana Moment.

Others believe licensed healthcare facilities will be "hesitant" to apply the pilot program without federal approval. Interviewed by Filter, regulatory expert Mason Marks MD, JD says the state's new law is a bit of an oddball: "I'm not sure what it achieves, if anything at all." 

Instead, he sees potential conflicts with federal law that might risk programs to the point of being shut down. "It's not so much the state but individual practitioners and businesses who could be in trouble when they're offering non-approved substances as medical treatment," Marks said.

Separately, MAPS' Ismael Ali told the news outlet that Utah's law is using "existing medical infrastructure," differentiating it from psychedelics-friendly states Colorado or Oregon, "which are standing up new infrastructure" and bringing it closer to what is being done in states like Texas, Washington and Connecticut, which have authorized some healthcare providers to offer people psychedelic treatment within the scope-limited framework of defined clinical research.

Now Read: FDA Hosts Public Psychedelics Discussion, Discloses Major Growth On Number Of New Psychiatric Drugs Filings Post-2000

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