Bill aims to make Pennsylvania a national leader in psychoactive research

Pennsylvania could become a leader in studying magic mushrooms as a treatment for mental illness under a bill that was introduced last month in the House of Representatives and is scheduled for a Health Committee vote Tuesday in Harrisburg.

The proposed legislation, the Public Health Benefits of Psilocybin Act, would establish a framework for clinical studies of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. It would give researchers some cover for sidestepping cumbersome federal regulations that still categorize the substance as having no accepted medical use despite growing evidence that it does.

Experts and advocates said that even if it doesn’t become law, the Pennsylvania bill’s introduction is a sign of building momentum in the United States for research into psilocybin as a potential therapy for the most serious cases of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental illnesses. Oregon legalized psilocybin in 2020, while Texas is sponsoring research.
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