Two Psychedelics Bills Approved By Hawaii Senators With Governor's Endorsement

Hawaii Senate Ways and Means Committee approved a pair of bills aiming to promote and investigate the therapeutic potential of MDMA and psilocybin as an alternative to treat mental health conditions.

The measures, which received unanimous votes and now are heading to the Senate floor, received supportive testimony from the governor’s office, reported Marijuana Moment.

What’s In The Bills?

Sponsored by Sen. Chris Lee (D), Bill SB 1531 aims to create a “beneficial treatments advisory council” that would respond to the governor’s Office of Wellness and Resiliency (OWR).

Once enacted, the measure would create an advisory council tasked with exploring state and federal regulations on certain psychedelics, in addition to reviewing scientific literature related to using them for mental health treatment. Moreover, the advisory council would require the creation of a “long-term strategic plan to ensure the availability of therapeutic psilocybin, psilocybin-based products, and [MDMA] that are safe, accessible, and affordable for adults twenty—years of age or older.”

According to the legislation, “the legislature finds that mental health conditions are treated in various ways, depending on the condition, and can include medication, therapy, and psychosocial services" It also notes that "research supports the effectiveness of natural and alternative medicines and therapies, such as the use of MDMA, psilocybin, and other therapies, as being safe and effective ways to treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, end-of-life psychological distress, and other afflictions."

The bill notes that psilocybin and MDMA have been designated as breakthrough

therapies by the FDA.

Sen. Ron Kouchi (D), who sponsors a separate bill, seeks to establish a statewide task force to specifically study the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin.

SB1454 would direct a new therapeutic psilocybin working group to examine the “ medicinal and therapeutic effects of psilocybin to treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and end-of-life psychological distress.” Members would require to develop a long-term plan to “ ensure the safe availability and accessibility of affordable, therapeutic psilocybin and psilocybin-based products for adults twenty-one years of age or older.”

The governor’s OWR said in written testimony ahead of the committee hearing: “As negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to show up in our daily lives, promising interventions for mental health disorders should be included in conversations relating to trauma (...) To make informed decisions on how we should address and resource attention to complex social issues like mental health disorders and trauma, research needs to be examined.”

In related news, Sen. Lee recently filed bills to legalize marijuana in the state. In addition, during a recent press conference alongside state lawmakers, an activist coalition called on Gov. Josh Green and the legislature to focus on criminal justice measures in cannabis legalization bills this session.

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