TRIP OUT: Arizona Moves Forward on Psychedelic Legalization
For generations, people have ingested psychedelic substances to peek behind the curtains of reality and try to understand more about themselves.
Many people have an almost Beatles-esque understanding of psychedelics, only wanting to use these substances to watch walls melt and hallucinate cartoon friends. There is a powerful case for medicinal use of psychedelics, however, and Arizona is about to take its first step towards legalization of them.
Like Mario, Eat Some Mushrooms
Psychedelic mushrooms, otherwise known as Psilocybin, are an incredibly powerful, naturally forming hallucinogen. They are commonly used by those looking to connect deeper with nature and their subconscious.
These funky fungi have stood as a party drug for some time, but less known is their medicinal value. Studies have shown that Psilocybin are phenomenal at treating PTSD and chronic pain when taken correctly.
There are many cases in which psychedelic mushrooms have caused psychosis or overdoses due to poor planning by the one ingesting the Psilocybin. The government's plan involves clinical sessions to avoid these issues.
Must Be a Duck, Because We've Got a Bill
Late on February 13th, the Arizona Senate's Committee on Health and Human Services pushed a bill calling for legalization medicinal Psilocybin to the full Senate unanimously.
This bill would:
- Allow Clinical Trials of Psilocybin by 2026.
- Sponsor State Department of Health licensed clinics.
- Allow ONLY federally licensed mushrooms to treat seven specific disorders.
- Contain use of Psilocybin to only state funded clinics.
This is NOT decriminalization, as many have believed. The use of these mushrooms will be tightly monitored as if it were a therapy session, and that's exactly what they were meant for.
In order to treat the illnesses Psilocybin effects, patients must be in a clear state of mind and a controlled environment. This is something Sen. T.J. Shope is adamant about, stating "...when medical marijuana was passed...you could go ahead and present at a facility, at a shop, and go off site someplace, so this is going to be very tightly controlled, and in a controlled setting."
Regardless of your thoughts on psychedelic drug use, it is obvious that this bill would bring a much needed treatment to those with few options. Most importantly, it will help recovering troops with PTSD, an issue that has persisted for some time and now might finally come to a close.