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State Representative Max Rymer has been championing legislative support for House File 4577, which would allow for a pilot program facilitating hallucinogenic mushrooms in treating PTSD.  Rep. Rymer says he seeks to establish psilocybin therapy for veterans, after hearing from individuals who could benefit from advances in use of this substance.  He is promoting an issue that the President almost concurrently was aligning his administration with.  

Psilocybin is a natural product and lawmakers in committee last week seemed to support the measure on a bipartisan basis.  Lawmakers said mushrooms are less addictive than traditional pharmaceutical opiates now used in treatment.  Mushrooms are what Rymer called “another tool in the toolbelt’ that he supports being made available through legislation.  The bill is supported by Democrats and Republicans.  It is laid over and may or may not go into an omnibus bill. 

The bill was reviewed in committee April 15) and two days later President Donald Trump released an Executive Order removing barriers for “new options” for mental illness treatments. Chief among them are “psychedelic” options.  

President Trump applauded Harvard, Stanford and Johns Hopkins for their “world leading research” that could yield promising results in treatment, especially for vets.

The Commissioner of the FDA is directed in the order to provide National Priority Vouchers  to allow uses of psychedelic drugs that meet criteria.  Furthermore, President Trump authorizes HHS to allocate $50 million towards what will be matching grants for states that are making investments in psychedelic research advancements.

In committee in St Paul the Minnesota House members heard that under House File 4577 hallucinogenic mushroom use would be provided only under the auspices of approved medical facilities.  The Office of Cannabis Management is structured to monitor the initial facilities.

HF4577 calls for the potential participants in this therapy regime to be screened by healthcare professionals and referred to the program, where a health history assessment would be done and patients would give informed consent after being educated on the substance. Uses would be needed only once or twice a year and in the presence of a trained guide/coach.

The less life- intrusive aspect of mushroom use is one benefit over the traditional prescription products primarily used for treatment of PTSD.

The mushrooms can be grown in Minnesota and kept in a Minnesota therapy program for Minnesotans, the Veterans and Military Affairs Division committee heard.

Rep. Rymer, pictured below in committee,  stated he hopes the issue can be seriously scrutinized for passage and if it doesn’t clear the lawmaking process this session,  “...we can keep open the conversation.”

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