Texas State Senate Explores the Medicinal Power of Psychedelics

In an exciting turn of events the state of Texas is taking strides to research the medicinal power of psychedelics. The state’s senate voted last week that it would study the effectiveness of psychedelics for the treatment of PTSD. 

How and Where Texas Psychedelic Research Will Occur

According to a report referenced by Ganjapreneur, Baylor College of Medicine will work together with a military based treatment center. The study will be looking at the effectiveness of psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine in treating PTSD. The bill mandates a clinical trial for veterans be conducted. All three drugs are being researched in other states across the nation. Other states are conducting research not only for PTSD, but also for depression and anxiety. Despite this, the state of Texas will focus exclusively on their use to treat PTSD in veterans. 

What About Cannabis?

The same senate lawmakers passed a bill that reduces the penalties for charges associated with possessing cannabis concentrates. This is an effort to help protect veterans manage the symptoms of PTSD. Why does this matter? Texas has historically been extremely resistant to any drug policy change. Texas is one of the last states that anyone expects to legalize cannabis recreationally, much less take strides towards understanding medicinal use of psychedelics. 

Why Now?

The psychedelics industry is growing rapidly. The growth is a result of the medicinal potential being discovered in psychedelics. Decriminalization in many states has allowed research like this to go forward.  On the other hand, the motivation behind this bill has been the tragically high rates of suicide in veterans since 2001. Very few treatments have shown any change in these figures, until research on psychedelics began. Multiple organizations searching for real solutions and effective treatments for veterans have been lobbying and sharing education for years. The hope is that sharing the positive information will help to push forward bills just like this one. This win in Texas means that hundreds of veterans who previously had to travel internationally to explore these treatments, will be able to explore them right at home in the state of Texas. 

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