Utah Legislature Submits Bill to Study Therapeutic Uses of Psychedelics |

A Utah lawmaker has introduced a bill to explore the potential of psychedelics to treat serious mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. The law, House Bill 167, was introduced Tuesday by Utah State Assemblyman Brady Brammer, who noted the measure “legalises nothing.”

“It calls on our Huntsman Mental Health Institute and other experts in the field to review the science and research there and make whatever recommendations they have if they think psychedelics are safe to administer on a prescription basis and by what circumstances,” Brammer said in a television news interview.

If passed, HB 167 would direct the state Department of Health and Human Services to create a task force on psychotherapy drugs for mental illness. The group would, according to the law, “research and make recommendations on drugs that may help treat mental illness.” The legislation establishes the composition of the task force, which would include mental health professionals, researchers and patients.

Although the bill makes no specific mention of psychedelics or any specific drug, the task force would be empowered to “make evidence-based recommendations on any psychotherapeutic drug that the task force determines may improve psychotherapy in the treatment of a mental illness.” The legislation would authorize the task force to examine research on psychedelic drugs that has shown potential to treat serious mental illness.

“We need effective tools to treat mental illness,” Brammer said in a statement to local media. “If psychedelics are helpful and safe to administer, we need them in our toolbox.”

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Brammer’s bill has the backing of groups that campaigned for Proposition 2, the 2018 ballot initiative that legalized medical marijuana in Utah. Kylee Shumway, the medical director of the Utah Patients Coalition, said psychedelics could help residents of the state struggling with mental illness.

“We have higher rates of depression and anxiety than many other states, and there aren’t enough psychiatrists even for people who seek help. There aren’t enough mental health professionals to help them,” Shumway said. “And a lot of the drugs don’t work.”

Research on psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine has shown that the drugs have potential therapeutic benefits, particularly for serious mental illnesses like depression, addiction, and anxiety. A 2020 study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy was an effective and fast-acting treatment for a group of 24 participants with major depressive disorders. A separate study published in 2016 found that treatment with psilocybin resulted in significant and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer.

“It’s very promising,” Shumway exclaimed. “There are some large studies that have just recently been completed on psilocybin that have done better against SSRIs, which are antidepressants, and psilocybin across the board.”

“Utah has some of the best researchers in psychiatry and neuroscience at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute,” Brammer said. “This bill seeks to use that expertise, along with other mental health professionals, to review the research and, where appropriate, make recommendations on how to safely administer these therapeutics under the care of qualified physicians.”

Steve Urquhart, a former Utah Republican senator, also supports Brammer’s bill to explore the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.

“Psychedelics have changed my life,” he told local media. “It has changed the way I see myself, the way I look at myself, and that allows me to see others and love others a lot more.”

Urquhart is the founder of The Divine Assembly, a church in Utah that promotes religious and responsible use of psilocybin.

“I’ve always been a bit of an activist at heart, and I decided I wanted to start a church where people can have these freedoms to worship with psychedelics,” Urquhart said. “I tell people, don’t get too caught up in psychedelics; The Divine Assembly is about connection, and psychedelics can help with that.”

Urquhart believes state lawmakers will likely appreciate the cautious approach HB 167 takes to examining the benefits of psychedelics and may support the legislation.

“Remember, this is Utah. Of course, we’ll probably take something like this more slowly,” he noted. “But with things like that, if the process is going, if it’s working, Utah can come up with some magic. I’m optimistic about that.”

Brammer introduced HB 167 to the Utah House of Representatives on January 18. The bill has been submitted to the House Rules Committee for consideration.