OLYMPIA –Bipartisan legislation to legalize the adult use of psilocybin to improve mental wellbeing was heard in the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee Thursday.
Senate Bill 5201, sponsored by Sen. Jesse Salomon (D-Shoreline), would direct the Department of Health and Liquor and Cannabis Board to legalize the supervised adult use of psilocybin under a two-track regulatory framework. An individual over the age of 21 could participate in a psilocybin session under the guidance of a licensed facilitator. Those who are undergoing a psilocybin session and have a diagnosed mental health condition must be overseen by a clinical facilitator is a licensed health care provider.
“This bill will create a framework for safe, regulated access to psilocybin. Studies have indicated psilocybin’s potential to dramatically improve wellness,” Salomon said. “Today in Washington, we have a mental health and addiction crisis psilocybin can help with. We can’t keep resisting change; we are failing veterans and many others who could benefit from guided psilocybin sessions.”
Washington has high rates of individuals struggling with mental health and addiction problems. Recent studies indicate psilocybin’s promising ability to improve wellbeing, including for disorders such as addiction, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“I have seen psychedelics change the lives of my patients,” said Dr. Nathan Sackett, director of the Center for Novel Therapeutics in Addiction Psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “Psilocybin has tremendous potential for treating lifelong mental health conditions. The effects are profound.”
A study estimated 40-60% of people with PTSD do not respond to SSRIs, and many do not respond to trauma-focused psychotherapy. A study found about a third of people diagnosed with major depressive disorder experience treatment-resistant depression, which research indicates can be helped with psilocybin. Recently, the largest phase 2 trial to date suggested a dose of psilocybin with psychotherapy before and after the dosing was associated with rapid and sustained antidepressant effects.
“Psilocybin played a pivotal role in helping me investigate and address the physical and emotional injuries I carried from my time in the service,” said Neil Markey, U.S. Army Veteran and co-founder and CEO of Beckley Retreats, which offers legal psilocybin wellness retreats. “This compound has a unique way of revealing the root causes of challenges, creating opportunity for meaningful change. It’s not for everyone or every situation, but with the right supports and safeguards the benefits are lifechanging.”
Under the legislation, sessions must take place in a licensed service center, a health care facility, or the client’s home with a facilitator present. This bill directs the Department of Health to develop rules and procedures for administration, ethics, and licensure of facilitators and service centers, and the Liquor and Cannabis Board to develop rules for labeling, packaging, tracking, and licensure of manufacturers and testers. The bill is modeled off Colorado and Oregon’s legal psilocybin programs and was developed in partnership with the non-profit Coalition for Better Community Health.
“Safe, facilitated, psychedelic use improves community health,” said Aaron Loehr, Executive Director of the Coalition for Better Community Health. “When people heal, it helps them, it helps their families, and it helps their community.”
Follow the bill’s progress here.
