By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

A Senate committee has voted to legalize the use of psilocybin, also known as “magic mushrooms,” as treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Senator Dennis Guth, a Republican from Klemme, said working on the bill has been a big learning curve for him. “I know I have some friends, some people I know that I think would really benefit from this,” Guth said, “but we have to be careful with how we proceed with this.”

Jasmine Owen, a lobbyist with the nonprofit Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, spoke during a subcommittee hearing on the bill. “By enacting this legislation, the Hawkeye State will not only honor its commitment to those who have served but also set a precedent for responsible, research driven policy making that could save countless lives,” she said.

A year ago, the bill won approval in the House on an 86-6 vote, but senators are scaling it back, so it would no longer legalize psilocybin for treating depression, anxiety and addictions. Senator Molly Donahue of Marion said psilocybin shows promise for people who suffer from PTSD. “PTSD is deilitating for people who have it,” Donahue said during today’s Senate Health and Human Services Committee meeting. “Most can’t work or if they can work, there can be issues of keeping that job because of their PTSD.”

Opponents of the bill say the state should wait until the FDA approves the use of psilocybin as a medical treatment. “We think that’s the process that this should go through, rather than creating a separate process in the state to legalize this,” Amy Campbell, a lobbyist for the Iowa Behavioral  Health Association said.

The bill would set up a system similar to the state’s medical marijuana program. The state would license facilities to grow psychedelic mushrooms and then package and sell psilocybin. However, treatments would have to be monitored by a medical professional and patients would have to be 21 or older. The state’s medical marijuana program is available to Iowans who are 18 or older.