The Connecticut House of Representatives approved a budget bill which included provisions which grant certain patients access to psychedelics assisted therapies. According to Marijuana Moment, the psychedelics in question include; MDMA, psilocybin among others.
The proposal will establish psychedelic treatment centers across the state as part of an expanded access program for investigational new drugs which have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This proposal will not be legalizing psychedelics however it will set up a regulatory framework to enable Connecticut to take a leading role in providing access to alternative treatments for military veterans, retired first responders and health care workers.
The Bill No. 5396creates the Psychedelic Treatment Advisory Board which will be part of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
The Board will be mandated to advice the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services on the design and development of regulations and necessary infrastructure to safely allow for therapeutic access to psychedelic-assisted therapy following legalization of MDMA, psilocybin among other psychedelics compounds.
The board will comprise members with ‘expertise or experience in the psychedelic research, psychedelic-assisted therapy, public health, access to mental and behavioral health care in underserved communities, veteran mental and behavioral health care, harm reduction and sacramental use of psychedelic substances.’
