A bipartisan panel of Georgia lawmakers on Wednesday endorsed a plan recommending the state spend up to $5 million studying the effects of ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and other mind-altering drugs on mental health treatments for military veterans.
The proposal was one of 16 recommendations from the Senate Study Committee on Veterans, Mental Health and Housing. And while it sounds radical, Georgia would not be the first state to do something like this.
Oregon and Colorado have already legalized psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in some mushrooms. And last year the California Legislature passed a bill that would have legalized possession of certain psychedelics — only for it to be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“Veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress and brain injuries have very few reliable options for treatment,” said state Sen. Josh McLaurin, a Democrat from Atlanta and a member of the panel that endorsed the plan. “A growing body of research shows that psychedelics — when administered carefully in clinical settings — may be a total game changer.”
Lawmakers heard testimony from veterans who have traveled outside the United States for treatment. Still, it’s been difficult to win over Georgia’s mostly conservative Legislature, where many members have spent a lifetime preaching the “just say no” doctrine of illegal drugs.
The committee’s recommendation is a baby step toward funding. Any budget allocation would have to be vetted and approved by the General Assembly. That discussion is likely to be more precarious, but the endorsement from this panel shows there is growing support for the idea.
“We were careful not to suggest the approval of any treatments, but rather to suggest that universities and other accredited organizations be allowed to further study this emerging therapy field,” said Sen. Chuck Payne, R-Dalton and the chair of the committee. “We must continue to position our state to serve the needs of our veteran population effectively.”
Post-traumatic stress disorder is more common among military veterans, especially those who have faced life-threatening situations in combat. The symptoms — including nightmares, severe anxiety and difficulty concentrating and sleeping — are difficult to treat.
Researchers, including those at Atlanta’s Emory University, have been studying how psychedelics, when combined with psychotherapy, can help patients.
A crucial component of the debate is the mainstream acceptance of the idea, which has been slowly gaining steam as more influential people get on board. That includes Bob Parsons, a Vietnam veteran and the founder of the internet domain registry GoDaddy who has invested millions of his own dollars to support research.
That was enough to convince state Sen. Ed Harbison, D-Columbus, who said he had been hesitant about the idea at first but is more open to supporting it now.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ top doctor has said the agency is ready to administer the therapy as soon as it’s approved by regulators. But that was derailed in August after federal regulators declined to approve MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Other recommendations from the panel included temporarily waiving or reducing property taxes for returning veterans and creating a program to help service members navigate the complexities of the health care system.
Staff writer Greg Bluestein contributed to this article.
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