RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP) — A bill being considered in the North Carolina State Senate would commit time and money to the study of psychoactive chemicals and possible medical uses.
The “Innovative Treatments for Mental Health Act,” SB568, was filed last week and is described as “an act to establish the North Carolina Mental Health and Psychedelic Medicine Task Force.”
The bill proposes that the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services can establish a taskforce to:
- “Assess the potential use of psychedelic medicine in addressing the State’s ongoing mental health crisis.
- Consider barriers to implementation and equitable access.
- Consider and recommend licensing and insurance requirements for practitioners in the State in the event that psychedelic medicines are federally reclassified and approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
- Consider legal and regulatory pathways to the legalization of psychedelic medicines in the State and the potential effects of the medicines on public health.”
The task force would meet to determine the usefulness and implementation of psychedelics in medical treatments and would be expected to provide a report on their findings by Dec. 1, 2026, including any proposed legislation.
The bill’s primary sponsors are Sen. Sophia Chitlik (D-District 22) and Sen. Bobby Hannig (R-District 1). The bill passed its first reading and was referred to committees last week.
According to the American Psychological Association, small studies have shown promising results in treating persistent mental illness with psychedelic drugs such as MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, but continued larger studies are needed before they can be approved for widespread use.
“Larger studies have also supported the benefits of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, and researchers suspect this drug could be the next in line for FDA approval,” the APA wrote in 2024. Psilocybin is the psychoactive component of so-called “magic mushrooms.”
According to the APA, “Evidence is also mounting that psychedelics, which typically produce an altered state of consciousness, could help people suffering from substance use disorders, racial trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other conditions.”
The Mental Health and Psychedelic Medicine Task Force would consist of the secretary of the NCDHHS, the secretary of the Department of Veteran and Military Affairs, the secretary of the Department of Commerce, and the following representatives for various healthcare sectors:
- Mental health issues
- North Carolina Native communities
- Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault
- Psychiatry
- Faculty of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine
- Faculty of the East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine
- Two members of the Senate, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Senate Minority Leader.
- Two members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the House Minority Leader.
Additionally, the task force has the option to select up to three members to represent other sectors that may be impacted by the findings of the task force, including human trafficking advocates, disabled veterans’ groups or first responder associations.
