Hawaii Lawmakers Advance Another Measure For Psilocybin Working Group: What You Need To Know

A resolution requesting that Hawaii forms a psilocybin working group to study the therapeutic potential of the substance was approved by a state House committee, Marijuana Moment reported Friday.

With a 5-0 vote in the House Health, Human Services and Homelessness Committee, the resolution from Hawaii Sen. Chris Lee (D) must now clear another panel before being considered on the floor.

The measure is non-binding, as it simply requests the state Department of Health form the psilocybin working group. An earlier measure directed, instead of merely requesting, regulators to form the group. It has since been referred to several House committees, without any scheduled votes or hearings, which could explain the need for a less prescriptive resolution.

According to the measure, studies “indicate that psilocybin has shown efficacy, tolerability, and safety in the treatment of a variety of mental health conditions, including addiction, depression, anxiety disorders, and end-of-life psychological distress.”

The working group created by the resolution, the Therapeutic Psilocybin Working Group, would “develop a long-term strategic plan to ensure the availability of therapeutic psilocybin or psilocybin-based products that are safe, accessible, and affordable for adults twenty-one years of age or older.”

Although the body would be chaired by the Health Department, that state department submitted written testimony against several resolutions.

“The Department recognizes that there is potential benefit of this substance and its impact on mental health; however, we are not there yet [...] The studies that have been conducted to date have been small and very controlled. The studies have also paired psychotherapy with the use of this hallucinogen. Lastly, psilocybin is addictive and remains a Schedule 1 drug.”

The working group would have to submit a preliminary report with its findings and recommendations within 20 days of the legislature’s 2023 session, with a final report due for the start of the 2024 legislative session. By July 1, 2024, the group would have to be dissolved.

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash.