Hawaii Says Aloha to Psychedelics

Hawaii may soon be the next vacation destination for anyone looking for a psychedelic retreat as a new state measure proposes to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic use after a certified panel reviews the medicinal benefits and science behind psychedelic mushrooms.

Democratic Senators introduced a new measure, that if approved would designate treatment centers for therapeutic administration of psilocybin mushrooms. The bill would also remove psilocybin from Hawaii's list of schedule one controlled substances. The measure calls for the implementation of a seven-person review board made up of state officials, medical professionals, and drug policy advocates, aimed at assessing policy change and examining available research for psychedelic substance therapy. This came shortly after announcements by California and Oregon to decriminalize psilocybin and other psychoactive entheogens for medical use. Psilocybin is currently being looked at as a viable treatment option for a range of mental health issues including, treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and anxiety. The resolution asked for the Hawaiian Department of Health to establish a medicinal Psilocybin working group to "Develop long-term strategic plans to ensure the availability of medicinal psilocybin-based products that are safe, accessible, and affordable for eligible adult patients." Hawaii is also considering a bill that would remove the possibility of felony charges for low-level drug offenses.