The suicide rate among veterans in Missouri is nearly and one of the highest in the country.
In hopes of helping veterans and other Missourians facing mental health issues, the Missouri House advanced a Wednesday that would require the state to conduct a study on using psilocybin, also known as 鈥�,鈥� to treat depression, substance use or as part end-of-life care.
Several lawmakers said they were 鈥減assionate鈥� about seeing the study go forward during Wednesday鈥檚 debate. Among them was Rep. Aaron McMullen, R-Independence, a veteran who served in a combat unit in Afghanistan.
鈥淪ubstance abuse and suicide are escalating in the veterans community,鈥� McCullen said, quoting a letter from the Grunt Style Foundation that serves veterans. 鈥淲hile psilocybin is not a panacea for every issue, it represents a first true scientifically-validated hope that we have to address this crisis.鈥�
The House overwhelmingly approved the measure, sponsored by Rep. Dan Houx, R-Warrensburg, on Wednesday. The bill still needs a final vote in the House before it heads to the Senate.
In early March, the bill passed out of the House Veterans Committee unanimously 鈥� though many of the members said the measure was outside of their 鈥渃omfort zones.鈥�
鈥淚f you would have told me five years ago that I鈥檇 be chairing a committee and hearing a bill where we鈥檙e going to be talking about psychedelics for veterans, I would have told you, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e crazy,鈥欌�� said committee chairman Dave Griffith, R-Jefferson City, during the committee hearing.
On Wednesday, Griffith again encouraged people to look at the 鈥渆xtensive鈥� coming out of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research.
鈥淚鈥檝e done hours and hours of research from Johns Hopkins,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he data that comes out of these studies that they鈥檝e done is remarkable.鈥�
This bill requires the Department of Health and Senior Services to provide grants totaling $2 million for the research, subject to lawmakers approving the appropriation. The state would collaborate on the study with a Missouri university hospital or medical center operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Missouri. The focus of the treatment is on patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use disorders, or for those who require end-of-life care.
Federal agencies are exploring when and how psychoactive substances can help treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. In June, the chief of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration wrote to U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean that FDA approval of psilocybin to treat depression was likely .
Faced with high rates of substance use and mental health issues 鈥渨e must explore the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapies to address this crisis,鈥� Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, assistant secretary for mental health and substance use, wrote to Dean.
More than 1,000 people take their own lives in Missouri every year, putting the state about 25% above the national average for suicides.
Rep. Tony Lovasco, R-O鈥橣allon, who sponsored a similar bill, said the state鈥檚 high suicide rate 鈥� and the elevated rate among veterans 鈥� makes it a life-and-death issue.
Two years or longer for FDA approval is a long time to wait, he previously told the Independent.
鈥淭he folks that are coming back from war, that are in desperate need of care, a lot of them aren鈥檛 going to be around in three years,鈥� Lovasco said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got, what 20-something veterans per day committing suicide? That鈥檚 a tremendous amount of loss while we wait for the government to do some paperwork.鈥�
This story was originally published by the , part of States Newsroom.
