Indiana bill could fund research into psychedelic mushrooms as possible mental health aid
A proposed Indiana Senate bill would establish a fund to further the study whether psilocybin – the psychoactive compound in psychedelic mushrooms – could be used to treat certain mental health disorders.
If passed, Senate Bill 139 – put forth by Republican Sen. Ed Charbonneau – would require the state to set aside money for the “therapeutic psilocybin research fund,” which would pay research institutes interested in discovering whether the drug could help treat maladies such as:
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Anxiety
Depression
Bipolar disorder
Chronic pain
Migraines
It would require the studies to prioritize veterans and first responders: groups with a higher likelihood to suffer from the above disorders, especially PTSD.
Before taking part, participants would undergo mental evaluations, the bill states. After the studies wraps, researchers would then determine how mushrooms stack up against currently accepted treatments for the targeted issues.
They would then ship the results to an “interim study committee,” as well as the state health department and the division of mental health and addiction.'
Mushrooms ‘may be useful’ in treating psychiatric disorders
The idea of using so-called "magic" mushrooms to treat mental health issues has been around about as long as the mushrooms themselves. But actually using them in clinical settings has gained more mainstream approval in the last few years.
They've been linked as a treatment for depression and anxiety. And in 2022, a study of 93 individuals found that the drug helped alcoholics stop drinking.
“A growing body of research suggests that, when administered in controlled conditions with supportive therapy, (psilocybin) may be useful for treating various psychiatric disorders, like depression,” the American Society for Microbiology wrote in a post last year. “However, there are questions surrounding psilocybin’s mechanism of action, as well as stigma, funding and regulatory hurdles, that must be addressed before psilocybin could be adopted for regular therapeutic use.”
SB 139 would at least partially solve the “funding and regulatory hurdles” in Indiana.
The proposed fund would consist of appropriations from the General Assembly, as well as “donations” and “gifts.” Any money left over at the end of the year would stay in the fund instead of reverting to the state’s general coffers.
Psilocybin legalized in other states
Whether the bill actually passes is another matter entirely. Drug legislation faces a tough road in Indiana, which is one of the last states in the U.S. that hasn’t legalized cannabis in any form.
The bill wouldn’t legalize psilocybin, either. It would merely create a method for its official study.
Other states have gone much further. Colorado legalized mushrooms in 2022, but the state is still figuring out what that will look like. It remains illegal to sell the drug – there are no psilocybin dispensaries – and “healing centers” where people can legally consume the drug haven’t been set up yet.
More: Feldman: Are 'magic mushrooms' a tool for battling depression and anxiety?
Still, people can use and grow the drug, and even give it away to others. Oregon also legalized a similar framework.
Colorado greenlit mushrooms under Proposition 122 – which promoted the use of mushrooms to treat everything from suicidal ideation to drug use to depression and anxiety.
“Colorado’s current approach to mental health has failed to fulfill its promise,” it reads in part. “Coloradans deserve more tools to address mental health issues, including approaches such as natural medicines that are grounded in treatment, recovery, health, and wellness rather than criminalization, stigma, suffering, and punishment.”
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Indiana bill could fund research into psychedelic mushrooms
