Psychedelics For Active Military Personnel: Democrat And Republican-backed Bills Being Considered

House Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) have recently filed separate bills towards further advancing psychedelic research studies to active service members. 

While it was AOC’s proposal which was finally made in order in the House Rules Committee for the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), its fate is still unclear. Nonetheless, several key senators have expressed interest in the matter, as Mia McCarthy reported on Bloomberg Government. 

In Ocasio-Cortez’s words: “They are, I would argue, kind of collaborative amendments in a way,” referring to hers and Crenshaw’s proposals.

What AOC’s amendment addresses is the funding of a Department of Defense (DOD)-led study considering MDMA and psilocybin as therapeutic alternatives to opioid treatments for the military suffering from PTSD or traumatic brain injuries. This proposal builds on a prior provision attached to the bill calling for the DOD to study marijuana for that same purpose.

On his behalf, Crenshaw focused on the creation of a grant program for psychedelic trials for service members with PTSD and its potential treatment with MDMA, psilocybin, ibogaine and 5–MeO–DMT.

All proposed studies would build on existing research on psychedelics for mental health treatments, most notably MAPS phase 3 trial on MDMA for PTSD therapy. Within the veterans population, an average of 20 people commit suicide a day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Another supporter of psychedelic research and reform, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), called the new amendments proposed “encouraging,” in the sense that not only the expected, long-time advocates of psychedelics reform are introducing them, but others are acknowledging the need for research and the eventual access-granting to these alternative mental health therapies as well. 

The chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), as well as Armed Services Committee member Sen. Jim Inhofe (Okla.), stated their interest in psychedelic research and therefore wouldn’t out of hand discard the proposed amendments.

For his part, Sen. and retired military Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) expressed he would support it if there is enough evidence of its success on veterans’ treatment.

The People’s Take

A new poll by research data and analytics group YouGov found that out of a total 1,000 American adult respondents, 28% have at least once tried one of seven psychedelics considered. As for legalization support, while it is relatively low among Americans overall, it’s much higher among that 28% population holding a personal experience with these substances.

Regarding research on substances like psilocybin and MDMA for mental health treatment of military members, as Kyle Jaeger first reported, the majority of Americans vote affirmatively: 54% said that they support allowing research into the therapeutic potential of certain psychedelic substances for active-duty military members with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while a mild 18% oppose the research further advancing.

With the poll covering a wide range of categories and questions, it is certainly worthy to note the overall growing trend of psychedelics discussion in the public sphere, and how the subject appears to be obtaining more advocates as states reform their drug policies and Congress discusses further measures as well.

Image by fancycrave1 from Pixabay.