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Maine lawmakers have sent a bill to the governor that would establish a commission tasked with studying and making recommendations on regulating access to psychedelic services<\/a>. It would specifically examine how to create a \u201clegal framework for the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs, including but not limited to psilocybin.\u201d<\/p>\n Days after the Senate approved the legislation from Sen. Donna Bailey (D), the House passed it on a voice vote on Tuesday, sending it to the desk of Gov. Janet Mills (D).<\/p>\n The measure was significantly watered down in a committee<\/a> from an initial version that would have legalized psilocybin and allowed adults to access the psychedelic at licensed facilities.<\/p>\n Members instead opted to create a \u201cCommission To Study Pathways For Creating a Psilocybin Services Program in Maine\u201d to further explore the reform instead\u2014a disappointment for advocates who pushed to provide people with legal access sooner.<\/p>\n The 13-member panel under the bill would consist of legislative appointees, health experts, a military veteran, academics and people with experience in psychedelics policy.<\/p>\n It would be responsible for reviewing \u201cmedical, psychological and scientific studies, research and other information on the safety and efficacy of psilocybin in treating behavioral health conditions,\u201d as well as how other states have approached regulating psychedelics access.<\/p>\n Bailey, the bill sponsor, filed a\u00a0similar version of the psilocybin access proposal in 2022 that passed the Senate<\/a>\u00a0but stalled out in the House.<\/p>\n Under the newly\u00a0approved<\/a>\u00a0bill<\/a>, the commission would also need to lay out the steps that Maine would need to take to establish its own regulatory framework for psychedelic substances, \u201cincluding but not limited to psilocybin.\u201d<\/p>\n Further, it\u2019s being asked to develop a \u201clong-term strategic plan for ensuring that psilocybin services will become and remain a safe, accessible, and affordable therapeutic option for all persons who are 21 years of age or older and for whom psilocybin services may be appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, members would need to \u201cadvise and make recommendations to the legislature regarding a legal framework for the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs.\u201d The commission would be authorized to meet six times and would be mandated to deliver its report to the legislature by November 6, 2024.<\/p>\n Rep. David Boyer (R), a vocal supporter of drug policy reform, told Marijuana Moment in a phone interview last month that the amended legislation<\/a>\u00a0still \u201crepresents progress, but it wasn\u2019t as much as myself and others would have hoped for, with the evidence that was brought to our committee of how psilocybin can help lots of different people for lots of different reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n He also said he was optimistic about the bill\u2019s prospects and expects Mills would either sign it or allow it to become law without her signature.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Maine lawmakers recently gutted\u00a0a bill to decriminalize drug possession and invest in treatment resources<\/a>, amending it in committee to simply create a task force to study the proposed reform.<\/p>\n Last month, the Judiciary Committee approved a bill to let people apply to have their marijuana conviction records sealed<\/a>, but defeated separate legislation to make the relief automatic.<\/p>\n Lawmakers in January also rejected a bill that\u00a0would have fully removed marijuana from the state\u2019s criminal code<\/a>, including a repeal of mandatory minimum sentences for certain activities involving unlawful amounts of cannabis. It also would have required automatic expungements of prior marijuana convictions.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, lawmakers in a growing number of other states are also considering psychedelics legislation this session.<\/p>\n \u2014 For example,\u00a0the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates have both passed legislation to\u00a0create a psychedelics task force responsible for studying possible regulatory frameworks\u00a0for therapeutic access<\/a>\u00a0to substances such as psilocybin, mescaline and DMT, sending the proposal to Gov Wes Moore (D). It would be charged specifically with ensuring \u201cbroad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances\u201d in the state.<\/p>\n In Missouri last week, House lawmakers adjusted a proposed budget bill to include $10 million to study psilocybin as a possible treatment for substance use disorder<\/a>. An earlier version of the bill would have put that money toward ibogaine research instead.<\/p>\n Vermont\u2019s Senate recently passed a measure that would establish a working group\u00a0to study whether and how to allow therapeutic access to psychedelics\u00a0in the state<\/a>. If the bill is enacted, a report from the working group would be due to the legislature in November with recommendations on how to regulate the substances.<\/p>\n The Indiana governor also recently signed a bill that includes\u00a0provisions to fund clinical research trials into psilocybin<\/a>.<\/p>\n Utah\u2019s governor allowed a bill to\u00a0authorize a pilot program for hospitals to administer psilocybin and MDMA<\/a>\u00a0as an alternative treatment option to become law without his signature.<\/p>\n An Arizona House panel also approved a Senate-passed bill to\u00a0legalize psilocybin service centers where people could receive the psychedelic<\/a>\u00a0in a medically supervised setting.<\/p>\n A Connecticut joint legislative panel approved a bill to\u00a0decriminalize possession of psilocybin<\/a>.<\/p>\n Alaska lawmakers are considering legislation to create a task for to\u00a0study how to regulate access to psychedelics<\/a>\u00a0following federal approval.<\/p>\n A\u00a0bipartisan bill to legalize psychedelic service centers in California<\/a>\u00a0was recently amended in a number of different ways as supporters prepare for an expected committee hearing this month.<\/p>\n The governor of New Mexico has endorsed a newly enacted resolution\u00a0requesting that state officials research the therapeutic potential of psilocybin<\/a>\u00a0and explore the creation of a regulatory framework to provide access to the psychedelic.<\/p>\n An Illinois committee also recently held a hearing to discuss\u00a0a bill to legalize psilocybin and allow regulated access at service centers<\/a>\u00a0in the state\u00a0where adults could use the psychedelic in a supervised setting\u2014with plans to expand the program to include mescaline, ibogaine and DMT..<\/p>\n Lawmakers in Hawaii are also considering a bill that would\u00a0provide some legal protections to patients engaging in psilocybin-assisted therapy<\/a>\u00a0with a medical professional\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n New York lawmakers also said that a bill to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy in that state\u00a0has a \u201creal chance\u201d of passing this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Nevada joint legislative committee held a hearing with\u00a0expert and public testimony on the therapeutic potential of substances like psilocybin<\/a>\u00a0in January. Law enforcement representatives also shared their concerns around legalization\u2014but there was notable acknowledgement that some reforms should be enacted, including possible rescheduling.<\/p>\n The governor of Massachusetts recently\u00a0promoted the testimony of activists who spoke in favor of her veterans-focused bill<\/a>\u00a0that would, in part, create a psychedelics work group to\u00a0study the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin<\/a>. Last month a Massachusetts joint legislative committee\u00a0held a hearing to discuss an initiative that would legalize psychedelics<\/a>\u00a0that may appear on the November ballot if lawmakers decline to independently enact it first.<\/p>\n As South Carolina Lawmakers Urge House Vote On Medical Marijuana Bill, New Poll Shows Strong Bipartisan Support<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Image courtesy of Kristie Gianopulos<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Maine Lawmakers Send Governor Bill To Create Psychedelics Commission That Would Explore Regulated Access<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Maine lawmakers have sent a bill to the governor that would establish a commission tasked with studying and making recommendations on regulating access to psychedelic services. It would specifically examine how to create a \u201clegal framework for the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs, including but not limited to psilocybin.\u201d DaysContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":73997,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81,126],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73996"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73996"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73998,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73996\/revisions\/73998"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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\nRead More: Maine Lawmakers Send Governor Bill To Create Psychedelics Commission That Would Explore Regulated Access<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"