Nevada Lawmakers Pass Resolution Urging Congress To Reschedule Psychedelics And Expedite Research On Their Medical Benefits

The Nevada legislature has approved a joint resolution calling on Congress
to reschedule certain psychedelics, streamline research and provide
protections for people using the substances in compliance with state law.

After initially moving through the Senate and then the House with
amendments, the Senate concurred to the other body’s changes and gave final
approval to the proposal last Thursday.

SJR 10, from Sen. Rochelle Nguyen (D), has now been formally enacted and
will be transmitted to President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance,
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) and all of the members of Nevada’s
congressional delegation, as well as the heads of the Drug Enforcement
Administration and National Institutes of Health.

The resolution cites research demonstrating the therapeutic potential of
psychedelics in the treatment of serious mental health conditions and calls
on the federal government to “reschedule psilocybin, psilocin, DMT,
ibogaine, mescaline and MDMA to a schedule that better reflects the
therapeutic value, low potential for abuse and safety for use under medical
supervision of those compounds.”

It also points out that there have been federal developments on the issue,
including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designation of certain
psychedelics as “breakthrough therapies” and research that’s being funded
to explore the substances at the Department of Defense (DOD) and U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The measure urges Congress to increase funding for further research,
establish a “streamlined process for approving and conducting research with
psychedelic compounds,” and reschedule psilocybin, psilocin, DMT, ibogaine,
mescaline and MDMA under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

Further, it calls for the establishment of “legal protection against
federal prosecution for individuals and entities complying with state law
concerning the supervised adult use of psychedelic compounds and require
states to enter research partnerships with the Attorney General under the
Controlled Substances Act to study the public health outcomes of such state
programs.”

The amendment adopted by the Assembly and now signed off on by the Senate
“specifies that legal protections against federal prosecution shall be for
individuals and entities who are compliant with state and local laws
concerning the supervised adult use of psychedelic compounds,” Sen. James
Ohrenschall (D) said on the floor.

Under the change, submitted by Nguyen, the proposal now urges congress to
protect “individuals and entities complying with state and local law
concerning the supervised adult use of psychedelic compounds.”

That language was in the measure as introduced, but an earlier amendment
had previously removed the word “supervised” from the text, which the
latest amendment added back in.

The amendment was adopted by members of the Assembly Committee on
Legislative Operations and Elections, which advanced the measure on a voice
vote during a work session last month.

On the Senate floor last month, Nguyen said the proposal “sets forth the
argument that certain research and therapeutic trials have demonstrated
promising results for the use of these substances in the treatment of
disorders such as traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder,
certain depressive disorders and other mental health conditions.”

“The measure notes the low abuse potential for classic psychedelics and
highlights their safety in therapeutic session settings,” she said, adding
that “SJR 10 expresses Nevada’s continued support for expanded research
opportunities…and urges Congress and the appropriate federal agencies to
increase related funding” for psychedelic medicines.


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Prior to the Senate floor vote, a committee also adopted amendments
proposed by the sponsor, Nguyen, to clarify certain statistics that were
referenced and also to build upon language on federal protections to
include local protections as well.

In April, meanwhile, a separate Nevada Assembly committee passed a
psychedelic pilot program bill that would allow some patients with certain
medical conditions to legally access substances such as psilocybin, DMT,
ibogaine and mescaline.

If enacted, the program would allow the medically supervised use of
psychedelics among military veterans and first responders with certain
mental health conditions.

The Assembly Health and Human Services Committee took public testimony on
the bill in March, hearing from reform advocates, veterans and their
families and members of a state Psychedelic Medicines Working Group, which
late last year called on lawmakers to establish a system for regulated
access.

Assemblymember Max Carter (D), the measure’s sponsor, was among several
Nevada legislators who participated in a recent psychedelic policy summit
and expressed optimism that the state could make progress toward legalizing
therapeutic use of the substances in the coming year.

Carter appeared with Nguyen on the panel, hosted by the Nevada Coalition
for Psychedelic Medicines. Both lawmakers were members of the state
Psychedelic Medicines Working Group that in December issued a report calling
on the legislature to create a program for regulated access to
psychedelic-assisted therapy.

In 2023, Nguyen sponsored legislation that would have legalized psilocybin
and promoted further research into the drug, as well as encouraged studies
of MDMA—but the was significantly scaled back in a Senate committee to
examine the use of entheogens “in medicinal, therapeutic, and improved
wellness” and develop a future plan for regulated access. It ultimately
became the vehicle that created the state psychedelics working group.

Separately in the state legislature, lawmakers are also weighing a measure
that would allow people with past marijuana possession convictions to
become foster parents provided the amount of cannabis they were convicted
for is now legal under state law.

Currently, any conviction for possession, distribution or use of a
controlled substance is disqualifying for would-be foster parents.

Federal Judge Allows Lawsuit Seeking Home Psilocybin Care To Proceed,
Rejecting Oregon Officials’ Motion To Dismiss

*Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype and Apollo.*

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Psychedelics And Expedite Research On Their Medical Benefits appeared first
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