A Republican congressman and veteran of the military says that undergoing psychedelic assisted treatment with 5-MeO DMT and ibogaine “changed my whole life” and “was one of the best things to ever happen to me.”
At a Wednesday press conference outside the U.S. Capitol, several GOP legislators and veterans discussed a recently introduced bill that would create a 75 million dollar federal grant program for research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics among active duty service members.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-TX, is the leader of this bipartisan bill. It’s called “Douglas ‘Mike’ Day Psychedelic Therapy to Save Lives Act of 2023”, in honor of a deceased former Navy SEAL who received a Silver Star. The congressman also renewed his call for reform by introducing a separate defense measure that must be passed.
Morgan Luttrell, R-TX, made one of the most shocking revelations at the event on Wednesday. He spoke about his personal struggles and how they affected his relationships after returning from war. He said that after researching psychedelic therapies and getting advice from trusted people, he decided to travel to another country for the treatment. The experience was “horrible” but profoundly effective, he said.
He said, “If you are in a situation where you feel lost and other methods have not worked, then this may be the tool for you.” “I can stand before you all and the American people and honestly say that I was reborn. It changed my life. My marriage was saved. “It is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
He said, “If nothing else works for you, this may be the solution.” It allows you to reset – a clean slate.
Crenshaw is a veteran who himself lost an eye in an IED explosion that occurred in Afghanistan in 2012. He said he pushes for this issue every year because “it works.”
Crenshaw stated that the use of psychedelic therapies among veterans “turned them from suicide. It saved their marriages and families, and brought them out of deep despair.”
He said, “I am tired of hearing veterans spill their guts and share their stories. I’m also tired of them having to tell us their problems and troubles.” “They shouldn’t need to tell us any more.” It’s time to take action. “This is what it’s all about.”
I’m live now unveiling the Douglas ‘Mike’ Day Psychedelic Therapy To Save Lives Act: https://t.co/LxuJeHAOoA pic.twitter.com/qpkKuTkKE5
Rep. Dan Crenshaw 14 June 2023
Rep. Jack Bergman, R-MI, echoed this point. He said that “if we want to get anything done at Washington, D.C. or anywhere else, someone has to take the initiative.”
Crenshaw, who sponsored the bill, was thanked for his support. He said it “supports overall efforts to study breakthrough treatments in psychedelic assisted therapies.”
We have a lot of work ahead. Vote for the bill, my House colleagues. “Those of you on Appropriations should appropriate the funds requested this year in order to start the research at the federal level,” said he. “Number three, authorise it so we, as a Congress, can let the medical profession do what they do best: research in an open manner, without bias, and without discrimination. Let’s start helping in a positive, not just talking about, way.”
Crenshaw’s bill, which was filed late last year, would direct that the Defense Secretary establish a grant program to fund phase two clinical trials into psilocybin ibogaine MDMA 5-MeO DMT with an emphasis on exploring treatments for conditions such as post-traumatic disorder, traumatic head injury, and chronic traumatic neuropathy.
The grants can also be used for “training practitioners to treat members of the Armed Forces on active duty with covered psychedelic drugs” in order to treat covered conditions.
From fiscal years 2024-2028, the Defense Department will allocate $15 million per year to support this grant program.
The grant is open to federal agencies, state agencies, educational institutions and non-profit organisations.
The bill states that clinical trials funded by grants can take place whether or not the substance is controlled by federal or military law.
The Defense Secretary would have to report to Congress every 180 days, within 180 days following the passage of the law. This report should include information on the clinics selected to receive the grants, as well as the number of military personnel who took part in the clinical trials.
Crenshaw, who led in the letter sent to House Appropriations Subcommittee Leaders to urge them to direct federal health agencies to include active military servicemen and women in psychedelic research.
Reps. Lou Correa, Nancy Mace, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Matt Gaetz are cosponsors.
Marijuana Moment reported that Marcus Capone, the founder of Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions and CEO and cofounder of TARA Mind, who spoke at the event on Wednesday, said: “Enacting reform laws for psychedelic assisted therapy is vital for veterans as it may provide a promising option for treating mental health disorders like PTSD, depression and anxiety, and traumatic brain injuries.”
He said that these therapies had shown great promise in improving the well-being and providing relief to veterans who struggled with conventional treatments. By expanding access to these treatments, we can give hope and healing to veterans who have served their country.
The bipartisan effort that Congress must make to pass such legislation is crucial. “By working together across party boundaries, legislators can show their commitment to the mental health crisis facing veterans and put their well-being ahead of political differences,” said he. Bipartisanship ensures that legislation gets the attention and resources they deserve, increasing its chances of being passed and implemented. This sends the powerful message that supporting veterans’ mental health transcends political affiliations and is for their greater good.
Recently, a House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee held a meeting behind closed doors where members discussed the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics in treating conditions that are common among veterans.
Crenshaw inserted , an amendment, into the House passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act, last year. This would have allowed for the Secretary of Defense to approve research grants into the therapeutic potential for certain psychedelics, such as MDMA, psilocybin, ibogaine, and 5-MeO DMT, for active duty members of the military with PTSD.
The measure was not included in the final package after a bicameral meeting. The fact that the amendment was approved by the House represented a significant step forward, but a similar Crenshaw-sponsored amendment was prevented from being voted on in 2021 by the House Rules Committee.
The military was given a directive to investigate the potential for “plant-based therapy” such as cannabis and certain psychedelics to benefit service members.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has recently begun soliciting proposals to support a series research initiatives that aim to investigate how psychedelics can be used to treat addiction to drugs.
Nora Volkow, NIDA director, told senators at a hearing held last month that new evidence is emerging that psychedelics have “significant potential” to treat certain mental conditions. This topic is of “great interest” to researchers.
Last year, Sens. Brian Schatz, D-HI and Cory Booker, D-NJ, urged top federal officials to give an update on studies into the therapeutic potentials of psychedelics. They argued that federal prohibition had stymied research.
NIDA’s response to the question was that the federal prohibition made it harder to study the benefits of psychedelics and required researchers to jump through extra regulatory hoops. Volkow said previously that she hesitates personally to study Schedule I drug due to these complications.
In 2021, the director told Marijuana Moment that researchers should prioritize psychedelics research because more people will use the substances as they are exposed to studies showing their therapeutic potential.
In March, bipartisan members of Congress filed a revised version of a Bill to streamline federal rescheduling for “breakthrough therapies” such as psilocybin or MDMA to promote drug research and development.
Booker, Sen. Rand Paul, (R. KY) and Rep. Nancy Mace, (R. SC) led another bill last year, which was designed to clarify federal “Right to Try”, (RTT), laws that give seriously ill people access to Schedule I medications, such as marijuana and psychedelics, like psilocybin, and MDMA. The bill was not passed by the end the session.
The bipartisan psychedelics legislation introduced this session coincided roughly with a relaunch of a congressional group dedicated to promoting research on the therapeutic potentials of entheogenic drugs.
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