Iowa Lawmaker Surprised By Governor’s ‘Unexpected’ Veto Of Psilocybin Bill

*“I look forward to having a conversation with the Governor to learn more
about her concerns regarding the bill.”*

*By Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch*

A key lawmaker said he was surprised by Gov. Kim Reynolds’s (R) veto last
week of a bill that would have allowed for the prescription and
distribution of synthetic psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in “magic
mushrooms” following federal approval of the drug.

Reynolds said the bill “moves ahead” of public health systems, law
enforcement and regulatory systems in the state.

“This decision is not a dismissal of the emerging science or the sincere
advocacy behind this legislation,” Reynolds said in her explanation of the
veto. “Rather, it is a call for a more deliberate and Iowa-centric
approach.”

House File 383 was one of two bills from the Iowa House this year that
sought to legalize the use of psychedelics as a treatment for mental health
issues, like post-traumatic stress disorder.

The bill’s floor manager, Rep. Brett Barker (R-Nevada) said the veto from
the governor was “unexpected” considering the bill passed with unanimous
consent in both chambers.

“I look forward to having a conversation with the Governor to learn more
about her concerns regarding the bill,” Barker said in an email.

The other bill, House File 978, would have created a psilocybin licensing
board in Iowa, and similar to the state’s medical marijuana program, would
have allowed eligible patients access to the drug while it is still
federally classified as Schedule I substance.

The bill advanced from the House but was not heard in the Senate.

HF 383, the bill put before the governor, would have immediately
rescheduled any drugs containing crystalline polymorph psilocybin, the
synthetic version of the compound, if they were approved for use by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Under the bill and conditioned circumstances, it would be legal to
prescribe, distribute and market drugs with the ingredient, which is also
sometimes referred to as COMP360.

Clinical trials of COMP360 as a treatment for PTSD and treatment resistant
depression have been conducted and are ongoing.

A similar bill was signed into law in Colorado in March. Colorado and
Oregon are the only states with legalized medical licensing programs for
psilocybin.

Reynolds said she does “recognize and respect the growing body of research
into the *potential* therapeutic benefits of psilocybin” but she said the
compound should be approved by FDA and the Drug Enforcement Agency before
Iowa acts to reschedule.

“The pathway provided by this bill for legalization of psilocybin at the
state level before we have a chance to review federal action…creates legal
uncertainty, poses risks for misuse and could undermine broader efforts to
ensure safe and effective therapeutic use in the future,” Reynolds said.

*This story was first published by Iowa Capital Dispatch.*

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