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“PMC is the only Washington, D.C.-based member association working on psychedelic medicine policy, and we see this as an opportunity to engage with the U.S. government in a very practical way, and that means lawmakers on both sides of the aisle,” explained Lavasani

Advocates for rescheduling psychedelics like psilocybin, the hallucinogen found in magic mushrooms, to allow for investments in research of the drug, are finding some powerful allies for the cause

Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), said that psychedelic substances have promising potential for therapeutic uses, particularly for treating severe depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and addiction.

COMPASS Pathways and MAPS PBC submitted joint application for new code to facilitate access to psychedelic therapy in the US, if approved

One of the goals of the organization is to influence Congress to develop an entire comprehensive policy outlook. There is a lot of urgency around this issue and it is important to get it right, as it is very challenging to undo bad policies.

As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, this directive for the NIH would expand government wide efforts to understand the potential risks and benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy to this critical population.

The Psychedelic Medicine Coalition hired its first federal lobbyists this month and also launched a political action committee to back lawmakers supportive of investing in research on psychedelic substances like ketamine, psilocybin — or mushrooms — and MDMA, or ecstasy, several of which are in various phases of clinical trials.

The Congressional Research Service’s updated brief discusses the current state of the CSA and how new legislation and ballot measures, like PMC founder Melissa Lavasani’s Decriminalize Nature DC movement, are renewing focus on the scheduling of certain substances, like marijuana and psilocybin.

Jose Martinez, a former Army gunner whose right arm and both legs were blown off by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, has a new calling: He’s become one of the most effective lobbyists in a campaign to legalize the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs across the country.

Some suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder have had little relief from traditional anti-depressants; now, a recent FDA-approved trial using MDMA – a.k.a. ecstasy – has shown promising results.

Jon Lubecky was desperate when he signed up for a clinical trial testing a new type of therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, one that included the use of a psychedelic drug called MDMA, known on the street as “ecstasy” and “molly.” Tortured by memories from his tours in Iraq, the retired army sergeant had attempted suicide five times. Now he saw the possibility that he could get past those memories so that his son would have “a father instead of a folded flag.”

Jose Martinez, a former Army gunner whose right arm and both legs were blown off by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, has a new calling: He’s become one of the most effective lobbyists in a campaign to legalize the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs across the country.

From approving religious exemptions to budgeting for medical research, advocates are hopeful that Biden and a Democratic Congress could mean progress for psilocybin and other therapeutic psychedelics. Psychedelic reform isn’t exactly President Joe Biden’s top priority. But as his administration and the new congress gets underway, advocates are hopeful that the next four years will continue to bring policy changes that chip away at the federal prohibition of psilocybin, MDMA, and other psychedelics.

On Point host Meghna Chakrabarti speaks with newsmakers and real people about the issues that matter most.