A House committee has unanimously approved a bill to set up a state program for psilocybin, also known as “magic mushrooms,” that would be similar to Iowa’s medical marijuana program.
Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake, the third ranking Republican in the Iowa House, said at this time last year, he never would have sponsored the bill, but Wills was convinced psilocybin works after attending a recent conference on PTSD in Denver.
“This has been proven through peer reviewed research 82-85% of the time to in as little as one treatment cure that PTSD so that veteran never has to deal with it again,” Wills said, pointing to Utah’s program that legalized psilocybin as treatment for mental health conditions in 2024.
WWills served in the Iowa National Guard for 25 years and he said during a subcommittee hearing on the bill that some of the soldiers who were with him during three combat tours have PTSD.
If the bill becomes law, the state would issue licenses to grow, harvest, weigh and dispense psilocybin and also issue cards to qualified medical providers who’d administer the drug to patients in a controlled setting.
Michael Young, state commander for the VFW, was a Marine in combat in Somalia. Young, who testified at the House subcommittee meeting, said he suffered from PTSD when he returned home and doctors prescribed pills.
“The V.A. loves to shove drugs into our mouths to deal with PTSD, (traumatic brain injury), (military sexual drama) and other issues,” he said. “I had to fight to get off of it. I had to fight the V.A.”
Young said the bill would provide a more natural treatment option for veterans suffering from service-related conditions.
Russell Saffell, the adjutant and executive director of the Iowa VFW, said the organization supports this bill and would like to see psilocybin treatment legalized at the federal level as well.
“As a combat veteran myself that represents 13,000 other combat veterans in our state, we want to make sure that we are protecting our veterans and ensuring that they have every opportunity to receive every treatment that could potentially impact their lives in a better way,” he said.
Representative Larry McBurney of Urbandale served in the Iowa National Guard for 11 years and did three overseas tours. He was diagnosed with PTSD after serving in combat.
“There are drugs that just aren’t necessarily working for some veterans and if we can find alternative avenues to treat PTSD I’m all in favor of it,” he said. “I think this is a great first step.”
Representative Jeff Shipley, a Republican from Birmingham who is an advocate of alternative medicine, said his main reservation with the bill is it only legalizes psilocybin for treatment of PTSD.
“The current practice of psychiatry leaves a lot to be desired, so there is space for the legislature to act and fill in the gaps here,” Shipley said.
The bill as currently written would limit the state-sanctioned psilocybin therapy for PTSD only, but the bill’s sponsor said a state board could decide to allow psilocybin as treatment for other conditions once research proves its effective.
The House Ways and Means Committee approved the bill yesterday. It’s now eligible for debate in the Iowa House.