Hawaii Senate Hearing Receives Overwhelming Support for Psilocybin Bill

Sen. Ron Kouchi introduced Senate Bill 1454 on Jan. 25, which was passed unanimously in the Hawaii Senate Committee on Health and Human Services (HHS) on Feb. 6. If the bill becomes law, it would establish a “therapeutic psilocybin working group” (managed by the Office of Wellness & Resilience [OWR]) to “investigate the medical and therapeutic effects of psilocybin or psilocybin-based products in relation to mental health, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and end-of-life mental distress.”

The group would also be tasked with assessing how markets such as regulators in Oregon and Colorado are addressing their own state psilocybin programs, with the goal of developing a comprehensive approach for Hawaii. In fact, the location would ensure that patient access to psilocybin is safe, accessible, and affordable.

During the Feb. 6 hearing, numerous testimonies were presented in favor of passage of the bill to allow access to psilocybin. HHS compiled these testimonies into a 117-page document that included a variety of speakers, beginning with a statement from Tia Roberts Hartsock, Executive Director of the OWR at the Office of the Governor. “As the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to manifest themselves in our daily lives, promising interventions for mental disorders should be included in conversations about trauma,” Hartsock wrote. “In order to make informed decisions about how we should address and provide attention to complex social issues such as mental health disorders, research needs to be examined. The OWR supports the purpose of SB1454 to establish a working group to make recommendations on their findings on the potential benefits of using psilocybin therapeutically.”

Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii executive chairman Nikos Leverenz also expressed support for the bill. “Hawai῾i should strive to work more proactively to create a climate that allows qualified medical professionals to use psilocybin as a therapeutic tool for those who might benefit from its supervised use,” Leverenz said.

Patients who have had personal experiences with herbal medicine treatments also shared how the bill could help countless others. “I have no hesitation in affirming that herbal medicines are both safe and effective tools for managing and recovering from intense psychological and physical trauma,” said Wyly Gray, executive director of Veterans of War. “Veterans of War sees firsthand the healing potential of these ancient drugs every day, and we strongly advocate their decriminalization on behalf of a nation of veterans suffering the aftermath of war. As a group, we deserve a safe and effective path to recovery; As a group we just want to come home. This is bigger than the failed War on Drugs; Lives are lost every day.”

This year has been a productive one for Hawaii legislators dealing with plant medicine and legalization. On January 11, Jeanné Kapela MP spoke about the introduction of a bill on the use of cannabis by adults. “We all know, and the people of Hawaii know, that it is high time adult recreational cannabis use was legalized in Hawaii. This year we stand on the precipice of history,” explained Kapela. “Following the recommendations of a task force looking at cannabis policy, we now have a roadmap for legalizing recreational cannabis on our islands.” Kapela has not yet presented her bill, but she said it would include a mass eradication program . “Social justice. People. That is at the heart of our proposal,” she explained.

The people of Hawaii recently showed their support for the legalization of cannabis through a poll conducted by the Hawaii Cannabis Industry Association. The poll found that 52% of Hawaiians support legalization (with 31% saying they oppose it).

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