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Alaska House Approves Bill to Regulate Psychedelic Therapies
Get Ready for the Psychedelic Revolution: Alaska House Passes HB-228
On May 2, the Alaska House of Representatives made a bold move towards the future by approving House Bill 228 in a 36-4 vote. This groundbreaking bill aims to establish a task force that will regulate various psychedelic-assisted therapies, paving the way for a new era of mental health treatment.
The official name of this group will be the Alaska Task Force for the Regulation of Psychedelic Medicines, approved by none other than the United States Food and Drug Administration. This is not just some fringe movement, folks. This is the real deal.
Spearheaded by Rep. Jenny Armstrong, who sponsored the bill, the passing of HB-228 is a proactive measure to prepare for the potential rescheduling and federal approval of psychedelic substances. According to Armstrong, the FDA is expected to approve a groundbreaking medicine for mental health treatment this August. And that’s not all – psilocybin, a compound found in magic mushrooms, could also receive medical approval within the next one to two years.
But don’t just take Armstrong’s word for it. She also noted that Alaska has the highest number of veterans per capita and is ranked among the top states for violence rates in the U.S. According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, murder and aggravated assault are among the top reported crimes in Alaska. While there has been a decrease in overall crime rates in recent years, murder incidents have actually increased.
If HB-228 is passed, a task force will be established to spend a year reviewing the potential benefits and drawbacks of psychedelic-assisted therapies, including the use of psilocybin and MDMA.
Most House representatives were on board with this forward-thinking bill, recognizing the potential benefits for those struggling with mental health conditions. Rep. Laddie Shaw, a former director of Alaskan Veteran Affairs, spoke up in support of the bill, stating that veterans are asking for some kind of positive move forward. “This task force gives us an opportunity to move forward with some productivity on behalf of our veterans,” Shaw explained. “We haven’t done anything for the last 50 years. Let’s move forward with something.”
Even Rep. Sarah Vance, who admitted to feeling uncomfortable with the topic, acknowledged the value in exploring psychedelic-assisted therapies as a potential treatment option.
However, not all representatives were on board with the idea. Rep. Dan Saddler opposed the bill, stating that there is no evidence of any benefits to psychedelic drugs. “I rise against this bill because I don’t believe we should be going off in a direction in what I believe to be a premature fashion,” Saddler said. He also argued that a task force would encroach on the legislature’s jurisdiction.
Rep. Jamie Allard also expressed her opposition, claiming that military veterans were being harmed by those promoting psychedelic therapy. But with the majority of representatives in support of HB-228, it seems that Alaska is ready to embrace the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapies and pave the way for a new era of mental health treatment.
