The Arizona State Senate Committee on Health and Human Services has unanimously approved a bill that can be described as quite unusual.
Psychedelic mushrooms may soon become a viable option for mental health treatment in Arizona with the introduction of Senate Bill 1570. Sponsored by Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, this bill aims to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for therapeutic purposes.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Shope emphasized that if Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs signs the bill into law, there will be rigorous regulations in place for this drug. He clarified that this is a different situation compared to Oregon.
The senator highlighted that this state has long been open to innovative ideas in the medical field. He emphasized that mushrooms would only be prescribed in a clinical setting.
Advocates of the bill argue that legalizing it would be an essential measure towards addressing the mental health crisis in the country.
Josh Mozell, President of the Psychedelic Association of Arizona, exclaimed that we are currently facing a dire mental health crisis, and unfortunately, we are not meeting the needs of those who are suffering.
During the hearing, Mozell clarified that the drug could only be prescribed by a medical doctor, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, and naturopathic doctor.
Bob Parsons, the founder of GoDaddy, expressed his support for the bill during his testimony. He shared his personal experience of dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after serving in the Vietnam War.
“Afterward, I felt like a completely transformed individual,” he shared, reflecting on his experience with mushrooms nearly five decades after returning from the war.
Addressing the possibility of misuse, he expressed his confusion, saying, “I can’t understand why they would do that.”
The bill aims to establish an Arizona Psilocybin Advisory Board and Psilocybin Control and Regulation Fund, while also implementing licensing and training standards for “therapy centers” that would facilitate the treatment, as stated in the bill’s fact sheet.
