Bipartisan congressional legislators are asking for leadership to direct federal health agencies to allow active military service personnel to participate in psychedelic research.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R.TX), led the letter to House Appropriations Subcommittee Leaders. They suggested that language be added to the upcoming spending legislation for 2024 Fiscal Year. This would direct the National Institutes on Health to include military personnel in their ongoing research into the therapeutic effects of substances such as MDMA.
The eleven lawmakers wrote that the NIH was the largest public funding source for biomedical research worldwide. They would use the directive to expand government efforts to understand the risks and benefits of psychedelic assisted therapy to this population.
It states that “we need new approaches to adequately address trauma-related disorders, chronic pain to both active duty and veteran servicemembers”, citing the high prevalence of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among the military population.
The letter was sent to the leaders of the subcommittees late last month and published on Thursday. It cites that the Food and Drug Administration has approved Phase 3 clinical trials for MDMA in the treatment PTSD. These promising results are encouraging.
“This data is landmark and highlights the need for further scientific inquiry. However, it also shows that there is still a gap in our understanding of how these therapies might function in active-duty personnel. The NIH’s active projects involve the Department of Veteran Affairs medical centre system. However, strengthening this interest and expanding it to the current serving population will increase our cross-agency study of possible benefits.
It continues, “By instructing NIH to continue these efforts in collaboration avec Department of Defense (DOD policy), we can ensure our research enterprise includes all potential beneficiaries, particularly our military in this vital research.”
Other signatories include Reps. Lou Correa, Jack Bergman (R–MI), Donald Davis(D-NC), Chris Deluzio [D-PA], Max Miller (R–OH), Max Miller (R–OH), Max Miller (R–OH), Nancy Mace and Morgan Luttrell (R–TX), Mikie Sharrill (D–NJ), Jimmy Panetta (“D-CA”) and Ro Khanna (“D-CA”).
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“Everyday, we see firsthand how psychedelics-assisted therapy can benefit,” Henry Berkowitz (CFO of Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, VETS), a former Navy SEAL, said to Marijuana Moment. “What we have seen is that the demand for these therapies has increased exponentially,”
“We are unable to support all applications that we receive. He stated that legislation to provide domestic access for these life-saving treatments is urgently needed. We believe that more research on psychedelic therapies is the best way for this to happen. We believe this issue should be supported by both sides. We are proud of this letter and appreciate the support from both sides.
Crenshaw is a former military veteran who lost his eye in an IED explosion in Afghanistan 2012 and has been a leader in the Congress’ psychedelics reform movement over the past years.
The congressman successfully inserted a modification into the House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act last. This amendment would have allowed the secretary to approve grants for research into certain psychedelics, such as MDMA, psilocybin and 5-MeO -DMT, for active-duty military personnel with PTSD.
After the bicameral conference, however, that measure was not included in the final package. Although the House approved the measure, it was a step in the right direction. However, a similar amendment Crenshaw had sponsored was prevented from being voted on the floor by the House Rules Committee for 2021.
Although the House passed the latest amendment, along with one from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D–NY), it was omitted from the Senate’s last bicameral NDAA agreement. However, a joint explanation statement attached to the bill included a directive for military personnel to investigate the potential for “plant-based therapies” such as cannabis and certain psychedelics.
Bipartisan and bicameral lawmakers submitted an updated version of a bill last month to streamline federal rescheduling for “breakthrough therapies” such as MDMA and psilocybin in order to encourage research and drug development.
Last week, bipartisan House members introduced legislation to clarify federal “Right to Try” laws that allow seriously ill patients to access Schedule I drugs — including marijuana and psychedelics such as MDMA and psilocybin–despite resistance from Drug Enforcement Administration.
The introduction of the psychedelics bill comes amid the relaunch of a congressional caucus focusing on research into the therapeutic potential for entheogenic substances.
In the meantime, a unprecedented wave state-level psychedelics legislation reform effort is underway across the country. This session, more than a dozen states have legislators examining the issue. The interest is rapidly growing in the medical benefits of these substances.
See the letter below on psychedelic research for active-duty military personnel:
Bipartisan Congressional bill Would Force DEA to Allow Patients To Use Psychedelics and Marijuana
Photo elements courtesy carlosemmaskype, Apollo.
The post Bipartisan Congressmakers Push for Psychedelic Studies for Active Duty Military Personnel was first published on Marijuana Moment.
