Nevada Senators passed a joint motion on Tuesday, calling for Congress to change the classification of certain psychedelics and provide legal protections for those who are using them according to state law.
Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Committee heard testimony by experts as Nevada legislators push forward with reforms on psychedelics.
It is a very grassroots issue, and it’s bipartisan. Nguyen made her first remarks that the issue is Nevada-specific. This is an extremely important matter. This may appear to be a harmless issue. [resolution] where we’re sending a letter, but it is super important that we as a state send a message to the federal government—send a message to Washington, D.C.—that we need to start helping our community.”
“We are in a serious mental crisis.” It’s not like you walk into a room of a committee and don’t get to hear this stuff,” said she. “This is a solution for a state-wide problem.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r09QrmTFAOc
The resolution outlines research that shows the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics for treating serious mental illnesses. It also calls for the federal government “to reschedule DMT, MDMA, ibogaine and mescaline to reflect their therapeutic value, the low risk of abuse, and the safety of use when under medical supervision.”
The article also highlights federal developments in the area, such as the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) classification of some psychedelics to be “breakthrough therapy” and the research being conducted by the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs of the United States (VA) on these substances.
The bill urges Congress for increased funding, a “streamlined procedure for approving research using psychedelics” and reclassifying psilocybin (psilocin), DMT (ibogaine), mescaline, and MDMA as controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act.
It also calls for “legal protection from federal prosecution of individuals or entities that comply with state laws concerning the controlled adult use of psychoactive compounds, and requires states to form research partnerships under the Controlled Substances Act with the Attorney-General to study public health outcomes.”
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Nguyen concluded his remarks by saying that SJR 10 was created to “encourage Congressmen to perform their duties and to put all states on the right track for people to be able to receive these life-saving treatments.”
She said, “We haven’t done a great deal of research on this topic. That’s a part of the issue when we talk about cannabis or the medications that are being discussed here.” Researchers are trying to save lives. Researchers know the results of their research and don’t wish to be held back.
SJR is a group that does just this. She said that it would not only help save lives but also urge Congress to take action. “It says, ‘we as a state want Congress to act on this so we can act on this, and we can save lives in our state.'”
The hearing was held one day after Nevada lawmakers introduced a proposal to establish a psychedelics pilot therapy program, which would offer a new treatment for mental illness patients.
Assemblymember Max Carter (D), the sponsor, was among several Nevada legislators who participated in a recent psychedelic policy summit and expressed optimism that the state could make progress toward legalizing therapeutic use of the substances in the coming year.
Carter and Nguyen appeared on a panel hosted by Nevada Coalition for Psychedelic Medicines. The two lawmakers are members of a state Psychedelic Medicines Working Group, which in December released a report urging the legislature to establish a program to regulate access to psychedelic assisted therapy.
In 2023, Nguyen sponsored legislation that would have legalized psilocybin and promoted further research into the drug, as well as encouraged studies of MDMA—but the was significantly scaled back in a Senate committee to examine the use of entheogens “in medicinal, therapeutic, and improved wellness” and develop a future plan for regulated access. It ultimately became the vehicle that created the state psychedelics working group.
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Picture courtesy Wikimedia/MushroomObserver.
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