Alaska Government Task Force Recommends Legalizing Psychedelic Therapy Upon FDA Approval

An Alaska psychedelics task force is recommending that the state move
forward with plans to provide regulated access to psychedelics if the
federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorizes the medical use of
substances like psilocybin and MDMA.

After about a year of work studying the issue under a law enacted in 2024, the
Alaska Legislative Task Force for the Regulation of Psychedelic Medicines
on Thursday unveiled its findings and recommendations.

“Alaska has some of the highest rates in the nation of domestic violence
survivors and combat veterans who experience PTSD, and many of these
Alaskans continue to struggle with traditional treatments,” Sen. Forrest
Dunbar (D), co-chair of the task force, said in a press release.

“Our approach to these new medical therapies needs to be properly and
independently evaluated to ensure that if the legislature were to make
policy changes, we do so with empirical data in a properly controlled
environment,” the senator said.

The panel’s report lists a series of findings, informed by a review of
scientific literature and expert testimony.That includes findings that
certain psychedelics do, in fact, possess “potential therapeutic uses,” and
“there is particular focus on use of these therapies for veterans,
survivors of assault and interpersonal violence, and others with
treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”

Members emphasized the importance of administering psychedelic therapies in
a collaborative way with “multiple provider types” to deliver a
comprehensive treatment approach, rather than leaving it up to the
individual patient to navigate.

Chief among its recommendations, the task force said: “If and when
psychedelic medicine therapies are FDA approved, the state should take
action to allow for their use in Alaska, rather than prohibiting use.”

Alaska regulators should also identify clinical working groups “whose
function is to regularly review updated studies and the evidence base to
make recommendations, and rely on these entities to provide ongoing
guidance on use of these therapies,” it said.

“To the extent possible, reserve use of state statute for broad enabling
language and key components of a regulatory structure, and leave most
regulatory decisions to the relevant boards and agencies,” another
recommendation states. “Regulations still require robust public process in
order to be adopted, but can be updated or modified more predictably and
easily than statute changes, which require an act of the Legislature.”

“It is likely that appropriate parameters for use of these therapies will
change over time, as the evidence base matures and FDA approval may be
granted for multiple therapies,” it said.

Should FDA proceed with approving any given psychedelic for medical use,
the panel said the Alaska State Medical Board should update its guidance
for prescribing controlled substances to incorporate the novel therapies.

Also if FDA approves psychedelic medicines, and the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) follows suit by federally rescheduling substances like
psilocybin, Alaska should “fully mirror federal scheduling and Risk
Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) without adding duplicative or
conflicting state rules, and follow any rules regarding whether DEA
licensure is required for prescribers,” the report says.

“This approach respects federal science and streamlines access for patients
and providers,” it continues.

Additionally, as lawmakers and regulators await a federal decision on
advancing psychedelic therapies, the state should look into legislation to
“prompt implementation actions at the state level to include the
recommendations made in this report.”

“Trigger legislation would require addressing several process and
regulatory questions, such as the role and involvement of professional
licensing boards, state agencies, and the Controlled Substance Advisory
Committee,” the task force said.

The report further says that psychedelics reform should prioritize military
veterans’ access to FDA-approved therapies, which may involve collaborating
with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify opportunities
for participation in clinical trials and pilot programs utilizing the novel
drugs.

“Advocacy should be considered to ensure active efforts by the American
Medical Association, (AMA) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
(CMS) on developing billing codes that will promote sufficient
reimbursement for psychedelic therapy delivery are vital to ensuring
patient access post-FDA approval,” the panel said.

Rep. Justin Ruffridge (R), who also serves as co-chair of the psychedelics
panel, said the task force was “focused on preparing Alaska for potential
federal approval of psychedelic therapies.”

“These recommendations came from months of collaboration and work by
medical professionals, advocates, and legislators who focused on patient
safety, evidence-based care, and access, especially for those who haven’t
seen progress through traditional treatments,” he said.

So far two other states have facilitated psychedelics programs that are
fully operational. Oregon voters legalized therapeutic psilocybin in 2020,
and Colorado’s program was passed at the ballot box in 2022, with the
state’s governor signing legislation a year later to create the regulatory
framework for the program.

Meanwhile, an Alaska campaign announced in December that it failed to
collect enough signatures to put an initiative to legalize certain
psychedelics such as psilocybin and DMT on the state’s 2026 ballot—but
activists emphasized that the “work is far from over” as they shift focus
to placing the reform measure before voters in 2028.

“While we won’t appear on the 2026 ballot, we remain fully on track for
2028, and we will continue moving forward with determination, focus, and
the support of our community,” Natural Medicine Alaska said in December.
“This movement is gaining momentum every day. In fact, over 65 percent of
Alaskans support this initiative–and that number continues to grow.”

An earlier policy outline from the campaign explained that the proposal is
“building off of” Colorado’s voter-approved 2022 Natural Medicine Health Act,
under which facilitators last year administered the state’s first legal
dose of psilocybin.

A poll in 2024 found that nearly half (49.4 percent) of Alaska adults would
support a ballot measure to more broadly remove criminal penalties for
using substances such as psilocybin mushrooms.

That support rose markedly—to nearly two thirds (65 percent)—when
participants were told that Alaska has high rates of mental illnesses that
could potentially be treated with psychedelics.

*Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype and Apollo.*

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