Missouri Lawmakers Approve Psychedelics Bills To Expand Access To And Research On Psilocybin And Ibogaine

Missouri lawmakers have approved legislation aimed at expanding therapeutic access to and research on psychedelics such as psilocybin and ibogaine for adults and military veterans.

On Wednesday, members of the House Emerging Issues Committee passed two psychedelics proposals—combining two psilocybin- and two ibogaine-focused bills from Reps. Matthew Overcast (R) and Rep. Richard West (R)—that would take a series of steps to fund psychedelics studies, prepare for federal approval of novel therapeutics and create regulated psilocybin programs through which the substance could be administered to eligible patients.

The ibogaine measures as introduced by both lawmakers were identical, but there were certain differences in the psilocybin bills that were merged. The final text of the merged legislation hasn’t been released yet, however, so it’s currently unclear what made it in the deal.

Here’s an overview of all four of the Missouri psychedelics bills that were taken up in committee:

HB 2817 (Overcast) and HB 2961 (West)

• As introduced, the Veterans Mental Health Innovation Act—identical versions of which were filed by both Overcast and West—would create a state fund to support federal Food and Drug Administration- (FDA) approved clinical trials exploring the therapeutic potential of ibogaine for opioid misuse disorder and other serious neurological conditions.
• The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) would be responsible for awarding grants for the psychedelics research, with money appropriated by the legislature and outside sources through a Ibogaine Study Fund.
• DHSS would award the grants to Missouri entities with specific neurological and neurosurgical capabilities, provide cardiac health services, are able to match funding they receive from the state and partner with an institution that has submitted an investigational new drug application to FDA seeking breakthrough therapy status.
• Under the legislation, there would also be an Ibogaine Intellectual Property Fund, which would be supported by revenue from patents and licensing fees associated with the clinical trials. That revenue would go toward assistance for military veterans and other at-risk populations.
• If FDA eventually grants approval to an ibogaine medication, the Missouri bill stipulates that only licensed physicians would be able to prescribe the novel therapy. And people seeking the treatment would still need to receive it in a medically supervised environment.
• The proposal would make it so the DHSS grant application process would need to begin before November 1.

HB 1717 (West)

• The bill as introduced aims to expand upon the state’s existing right-to-try law by allowing veterans 21 and older receive psilocybin treatment for mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, substance misuse disorder and end-of-life care.
• Prospective patients would need to enroll in a psilocybin study, with documentation from a physician affirming that they have a qualifying condition, and receive the psychedelic treatment in a medically supervised environment.
• There would also be a 150mg cap on the amount of psilocybin analyte that a patient could receive in a given year.
• Patients and facilitators would be protected against criminal and civil enforcement action for participating in the program, and it would be prohibited to disclose information about participants to federal authorities. The legislation also calls for $2 million to be appropriated for psilocybin research grants to support the psychedelic treatment.
• Further, the legislation would revise the definition of an “investigational drug” under state statute to remove language that exempts Schedule I substances from the right-to-try policy.
• Finally, the measure would require the state Department of Mental Health (DMH) to partner with a university or FDA-affiliated research institute to carry out a study into the medical potential of psilocybin for psilocybin and other alternative therapeutics, with a final report due to the legislature within one year of enactment.

HB 1643 (Overcast)

• Similar to West’s HB 1717, the bill as filed is meant to provide regulated therapeutic access to psilocybin—though that access would be available to all adults 21 and older (not just veterans) and it would not require enrollment in a psychedelics study in order to receive the alternative treatment.
• Adults would still have to demonstrate that they’ve been diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition—PTSD, major depressive disorder, substance misuse disorder or a terminal illness—and they’d still be limited to 150mg of psilocybin analyte on an annual basis.
• Also, the legislation would expand the state’s right-to-try law by including Schedule I substances like many psychedelics in the definition of an investigational drug. Manufacturers of such investigational drugs would need to register their products with DHSS, and the department would be required to publish a registry of those organizations by November 1.

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West also sponsored a bill last session to provide therapeutic access to psilocybin for military veterans that ultimately wasn’t enacted into law.

The passage of the bills through committee this session comes months after bipartisan and bicameral Missouri legislators pre-filed a series of drug policy reform proposals that range from providing early release for people incarcerated for certain cannabis-related convictions to promoting access to alternative therapies such as psilocybin.