Pennsylvania lawmakers are again pushing legislation to support psilocybin research for mental health conditions. The bill would allow clinical studies regulated by the state health department and institutional review boards. It has bipartisan support but has failed to pass the House Health Committee. For the 2022 legislation, provisions for authorized psilocybin production have been removed. Supporters like Dr. Saed Al-Olimat of the Psychedelic Pharmacists Association believe there is bipartisan interest in the bill. Senator Tracy Pennycuick, an Air Force veteran who survived a burning helicopter crash and lives with PTSD, is a sponsor. If passed, the bill would fund studies on psilocybin’s potential benefits for conditions like PTSD, with a focus on veterans and first responders.

Every day nearly 17 veterans die by suicide, demonstrating the urgency for more treatment options.