Following Colorado's Lead: New York Lawmakers Push for Psychedelic Legalization

In healthcare, the work of researchers plays a vital role in identifying potential treatments. From discovering vaccinations and antibiotics to revisiting past medical remedies, today’s researchers often combine their knowledge of cutting-edge medical practice to help reshape how we think of care.

In the past, treatments such as the use of substances such as psilocybin mushrooms would’ve been considered extremely dangerous to treat patients. In recent years, however, a growing body of research has emerged, causing researchers to rethink the role that psilocybin and other chemicals could play in modern mental healthcare treatments. 

The researchers' calls have been so significant that New York’s lawmakers are beginning to take notice, with several bills being brought forward to support the legalization of psilocybin as a treatment. Their work is so significant that mental health care could be transformed for New Yorkers all over the state.

For professionals trained in healthcare fields, such as those taught through the Ithaca College online SLP program, new forms of care, such as those proposed by New York legislators, could very well form new types of mental health treatment - and may transform how mental health care works in The Empire State.

What is psilocybin?

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring chemical found in certain types of mushrooms and other fungi. It acts as a hallucinogen in the body but can have a wide range of effects, depending on the user’s unique physiology and environment at the time of consumption.

When introduced to the body, psilocybin is converted to a substance known as psilocin. This then enters and attaches itself to different parts of the body, known as binding sites, triggering different responses depending on the receptors and locations it binds to. 

Crucially, research suggests that consuming psilocybin acts a little like a circuit breaker, altering parts of the brain that are typically most responsive when we undergo self-reflection. This can cause a range of different responses in patients.

While in recent times, psilocybin has been garnering attention as a potential treatment for mental health conditions, it has had a long history of being used in communities around the world. Substances with psychoactive effects, such as psilocybin, have a long history of use in Indigenous communities across the globe. 

Mental Health - The Search For Treatments

It cannot be understated - the United States is experiencing a mental health epidemic. In Mental Health America’s The State of Mental Health in America, the challenge is laid bare - with almost a quarter of the adult population experiencing a mental illness during 2021-2022. That’s a whopping 60 million Americans - three times the entire population of New York.

While there are challenges around access to affordable and available mental health professionals, recognizing that effective care relies on a range of different treatments highlights the challenges that contemporary mental health professionals face. Historically, treatments for mental health conditions have had varying effectiveness - and in recent years, there has been a growing demand for new solutions to support patients who struggle with mental health conditions but don’t respond to conventional medications, such as anti-depressants.

In recent years, increasing research into psilocybin has yielded immense promise. As a psychedelic, it flips the script on conventional healthcare concepts - rather than simply rebalancing a neurochemical issue, exposure to psilocybin helps the body to open up to self-reflection and review. In some ways, psychedelics are not used to suppress or ‘fix’ symptoms - instead, as a trigger point to create meaningful change.

New York Lawmakers Introduce Bill

Historically, the use of psilocybin as a treatment for mental health has not been something that has been accessible to healthcare professionals. Many psychedelics, such as psilocybin, were classified as Schedule I substances in the mid-twentieth century owing to the lack of medical research supporting their use, as well as the high potential for misuse.

In recent years, an increased focus on substances such as psilocybin has yielded promise as a treatment. However, current legal impediments have made it challenging to undertake psilocybin-based therapies and treatments.

It’s important to recognize that introducing psychedelics into care comes with challenges. You can’t simply walk into a store and purchase psilocybin off a shelf - you need the infrastructure capable of supporting the needs of medical staff and patients. Legislators are coming together to act for change - enabling access to psilocybin-assisted therapies in an attempt to provide new types of care while being mindful of the risks and challenges that psychedelics face.

The proposed law, introduced to the New York State Assembly as Bill A114, seeks to change multiple existing laws to support the introduction of fungus-based hallucinogens, such as psilocybin.

The legislation holds immense promise, with Joshua Kappel, founding partner of the cannabis and psychedelics law practice Vincente Sederberg LLP. In an email to advocates of the proposed legislative changes, Kappel calls the potential introduction of psilocybin-based treatments a huge step forward for the community.

New York’s proposed law uses the lessons of previous laws introduced in other US states. If passed, New York’s proposed psilocybin therapy program will become only the third such program across the continent, with Oregon and Colorado passing legislation to enable such programs in 2020 and 2022, respectively.

Colorado - A Progressive Approach to Psychedelic Therapy

Colorado is leading the way by creating a comprehensive regulatory environment that considers the needs of patients and embeds safety at its heart. While laws were passed in 2023 enabling the use of psilocybin in treatments, Colorado lawmakers have taken changes one step further - creating a detailed framework that supports the use of psilocybin in controlled therapeutic settings.

When psychedelic-assisted therapy is launched in Colorado in 2025, it will have a comprehensive network of licensing, training, and industry designed to support the safe usage of chemicals such as psilocybin. By taking the known risks and creating a framework around them, legislators hope to create meaningful change that is well-supported.

Chemicals such as psilocybin are often considered risky - perhaps they are simply misunderstood. As new types of therapies open the door to new ways to support those who are struggling with mental health conditions, the work done by legislators across the US will be crucial in fostering safe, effective programs that don’t put the community at risk.

The work of lawmakers across New York is far from done. However, their dedication to working toward a solution highlights the challenges that mental health professionals face daily. While psilocybin-based therapies may only be one answer in the fight to improve America's mental health, it’s exciting to know that we live in a time where there’s an appetite and willingness to drive for change.