Psilocybin, or “magic mushrooms,” is a psychedelic medicine used for thousands of years by indigenous peoples for its healing properties. Many people hear “magic mushrooms” and imagine the 1960’s hippy counterculture movement, involving excessive recreational drug use. But what many don’t know is that there has been a growing body of research over the past few decades demonstrating that psilocybin has incredible potential to treat many mental health conditions, including depression, PTSD, addiction, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and end-of-life existential distress. Indeed, psilocybin, along with other psychedelics, used with intention within a therapeutic container, holds incredible healing potential that we have only begun to understand.
Psilocybin Therapy Pilot Program Approved by New Jersey Governor
This week, outgoing Governor Murphy of New Jersey signed Bill 2830, paving the way for three chosen New Jersey hospitals to develop psilocybin therapy pilot programs. New Jersey is following in the footsteps of other pioneering states, including Colorado, Oregon, and New Mexico. Bill 2830 will allocate 6 million in funds to create a psilocybin therapy program based on protocols used in FDA studies. Data will be collected over a two-year period that will inform next steps, which many hope will mean expanding access to qualifying New Jersey residents.
New Jersey’s Psilocybin Bill Follows a Medical Model
Although many in the field were hoping for New Jersey to approve a less medicalized setting and approach with psilocybin, the groundbreaking nature of the program cannot be denied. It represents a first step towards New Jersey gently rolling out a psilocybin treatment program. New Jersey’s pilot programs will be located in three chosen hospitals, and will emphasize careful attention to medical and psychiatric screening, intentional use for mental health disorders, and therapy support around preparing and integrating the psychedelic experience. It should be noted that the bill is in no way legalizing the recreational use of psilocybin.
A Deeper Healing Potential With Psychedelics vs. Traditional Psychiatric Medication?
Rather than numbing symptoms, many psychedelics facilitate people facing their fears, enabling them to let go of past traumas and unhelpful narratives, and grasp new insights about themselves and others. It seems that psychedelics may be providing a deeper kind of healing, where one experientially can digest healthier perspectives on themselves, their past, and their future.
New Jersey, New Mexico, Colorado, and Oregon Open the Doors to Psilocybin Therapy
The passing of this bill is due to the tireless work of veterans, policy advocates, researchers, and patients brave enough to share their stories. Many are hopeful that New Jersey’s bill will encourage other states to follow suit. Colorado, Oregon, and New Mexico have already passed bills supporting psilocybin therapeutic use. Interestingly, each state has a very different model. Oregon, for example, removes psilocybin from the medical model and refers to it as a service with an emphasis on wellness. New Mexico, like New Jersey, is embracing a medical model, but not in a hospital setting. New Mexico is also emphasizing clinical access at specialized psilocybin centers, while New Jersey is more about gathering data on a pilot program.
Might Psilocybin Be FDA Approved Any Time Soon?
The variety of bills supporting psilocybin therapy may serve as inspiration for other states that are interested in taking the first steps towards making psilocybin therapy accessible in a controlled manner. However, many states are waiting to see whether psilocybin will be rescheduled and FDA-approved in the near future. The FDA has already categorized psilocybin as “a breakthrough therapy” in 2018 for depression. Indeed, many believe that given the growing body of research supporting psilocybin, which is now in the final stage of FDA trials, there is a solid chance that psilocybin will be rescheduled and FDA-approved to treat major depression and treatment-resistant depression as early as this year or next.