Latest news with #HouseFile978
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Iowa lawmaker who supports medicinal mushrooms cheers veto of psilocybin bill
Laboratory technician holding a micro dose of psilocybin. (Photo by Getty Images) An Iowa lawmaker who pushed for the passage of a bill to create a state program allowing the medicinal use of psilocybin said Gov. Kim Reynolds' decision to veto a bill pertaining to the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms was a 'great decision.' Rep. Jeff Shipley, R-Fairfield, said rather than focus on rescheduling a synthetic version of the drug, the state should instead prioritize creating a state program legalizing the psychiatric use of naturally occurring psilocybin. House File 383 would have allowed for the prescription and distribution of synthetic psilocybin immediately following federal approval of the drug, and mirrored a similar bill, which was signed into law, in Colorado. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill dealt with crystalline polymorph psilocybin, a compound commonly known as COMP360, which is a treatment developed by the biotechnology company Compass Pathways to help patients with treatment of resistant depression, post traumatic stress disorder and anorexia nervosa. Shipley said he 'condemns Compass Pathways' for its approach at creating, and patenting, a synthetic version of the 'natural psilocybin that God has given us that everyone knows and loves.' Compass Pathways declined to comment on the veto of the bill, which it lobbied in support of, and on Shipley's comment. Shipley's emailed statement also apologized for his vote in favor of the bill, which passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. 'The proper legal framework is to reschedule psilocybin to schedule IV or III, and allow the relevant state regulatory boards to make it available as medicine,' Shipley said. Reynolds, in her explanation of the veto, similarly said the state should have time to review any federal action on the synthetic version of the drug before it legalizes it at the state level. Shipley was a vocal supporter of House File 978, which would have legalized the use of psilocybin for psychiatric treatment through a state program. The proposed program would have operated similarly to the state's medical cannabis program. The bill passed the House with an overwhelming majority in late April, but was not taken up by the Senate. 'It's my hope and prayer that the Governor's office and the Iowa Senate will agree to take up … HF978 as an immediate priority next January,' Shipley said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Governor's veto of bill on synthetic psilocybin drugs takes key lawmaker by surprise
Dried magic mushrooms with spore prints on tin foil. (Photo) A key lawmaker said he was surprised by Gov. Kim Reynolds' veto this week of a bill that would have allowed for the prescription and distribution of synthetic psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in 'magic mushrooms' following federal approval of the drug. Reynolds said the bill 'moves ahead' of public health systems, law enforcement and regulatory systems in the state. 'This decision is not a dismissal of the emerging science or the sincere advocacy behind this legislation,' Reynolds said in her explanation of the veto. 'Rather, it is a call for a more deliberate and Iowa-centric approach.' House File 383 was one of two bills from the Iowa House this year that sought to legalize the use of psychedelics as a treatment for mental health issues, like post-traumatic stress disorder. The bill's floor manager, Rep. Brett Barker, R-Nevada, said the veto from the governor was 'unexpected' considering the bill passed with unanimous consent in both chambers. 'I look forward to having a conversation with the Governor to learn more about her concerns regarding the bill,' Barker said in an email. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The other bill, House File 978, would have created a psilocybin licensing board in Iowa, and similar to the state's medical marijuana program, would have allowed eligible patients access to the drug while it is still federally classified as Schedule I substance. The bill advanced from the House but was not heard in the Senate. HF 383, the bill put before the governor, would have immediately rescheduled any drugs containing crystalline polymorph psilocybin, the synthetic version of the compound, if they were approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Under the bill and conditioned circumstances, it would be legal to prescribe, distribute and market drugs with the ingredient, which is also sometimes referred to as COMP360. Clinical trials of COMP360 as a treatment for PTSD and treatment resistant depression have been conducted and are ongoing. A similar bill was signed into law in Colorado in March. Colorado and Oregon are the only states with legalized medical licensing programs for psilocybin. Reynolds said she does 'recognize and respect the growing body of research into the potential therapeutic benefits of psilocybin' but she said the compound should be approved by FDA and the Drug Enforcement Agency before Iowa acts to reschedule. 'The pathway provided by this bill for legalization of psilocybin at the state level before we have a chance to review federal action … creates legal uncertainty, poses risks for misuse and could undermine broader efforts to ensure safe and effective therapeutic use in the future,' Reynolds said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
