Lawmakers in Hawaii are moving forward with a bill to establish a new task force focused on studying pathways to therapeutic access for psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved the measure unanimously, sending it on for further consideration.
The proposed Mental Health Emerging Therapies Task Force would spend the next two years reviewing scientific research, supporting further clinical studies and crafting policy recommendations on how such therapies could be safely and ethically implemented. Committee members highlighted the state’s urgent need to address its mental health crisis, especially among veterans, first responders and trauma survivors.
Both psilocybin and MDMA have received “breakthrough therapy” designations from the federal Food and Drug Administration for treating serious mental health conditions, a point lawmakers cited as justification for preparing Hawaii’s health and clinical systems for possible future access.
The task force is expected to include representatives from the state Department of Health, the attorney general’s office, the Office of Wellness and Resilience and the University of Hawaii’s medical school, among others. An amendment to the bill also specifies that it be housed under an organization with strong scientific and medical research expertise.
Next, the measure will be reviewed by the House Ways and Means Committee as the legislative session continues.
Dabbin-Dad Newsroom
