TEXAS, USA — Our state Senate Committee for Veteran’s Affairs and Border Security passed that bill to study using magic mushrooms to treat post traumatic stress disorder.
Now, the Senate will vote on the measure.
The committee met on Wednesday morning. Members listened to testimony on House Bill 1802 and then approved the measure. The bill would allow for a study on the use of alternative therapies for treating post traumatic stress disorder.
Specifically, researchers will use a hallucinogenic chemical called psilocybin which is derived from so-called magic mushrooms.
"It’s a bill that has lots of support," State Senator Chuy Hinojosa with District 20 said. "Even former Governor Rick Perry was up here lobbying, pushing for the bill.”
Scientists from Imperial College London's Centre for Psychedelic Research have already done a study on psilocybin. 59 people were part of the clinical trial. Researchers say that all of those folks had their depression improved through the treatments.
Hinojosa is a veteran himself and is all for the state passing the bill to start up the three year clinical trials to treat veterans.
"I’m for the bill," he said. "It’s not unusual for us to do these studies on any type of medication, any type of drug to try and determine if it’s beneficial or not, whether it works.”
Dr. Michael Anderson is a psychiatrist who runs his foundations clinic in Corpus Christi. He said in just the last few weeks, he’s diagnosed at least 10 people with PTSD.
He said policeman, fireman and even folks that have been in car wrecks can develop PTSD. He also said that some studies show that about 60-percent of those deployed with the military will eventually develop some type stress disorder.
He welcomes the possibility of the magic mushroom clinical trials.
"We might be able to take these international trials and be able to actually try them here in Texas to help these people that have suffered most and have not found relief in any other area," Anderson said
The magic mushroom legislation now goes to a vote before the full Senate.
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