A third state of America may be about to take psilocybin off the naughty list.
Thereâs been a lot of angst from mental health professionals over the approval of therapeutic psilocybin, with warnings that the substance is too dangerous and untested even for the highly restricted circumstances in which it can be prescribed here.
When the TGA took the magic mushroom ingredient off Schedule 9 last year so it could be used for treatment-resistant depression and PTSD â in a slam U-turn from its interim ruling six months earlier ââŻthen chief Professor John Skerritt had to defend the agency amid suspicion it had been worn down by the extremely persistent lobby group Mind Medicine Australia. Â
Each usage will require supervised dosing in a day clinic or inpatient setting after the patientâs psychiatrist has obtained ethics and TGA approval â a process so expensive and cumbersome, especially considering the candidate population, it will probably be bypassed in favour of the much cheaper and easier illegal alternative.
While over in New Jersey, it could soon be legal.  Â
Yes, the state most associated in international minds with people likeÂ
and Â
could very soon become the third US state to allow the cultivation of magic mushrooms and the synthetic production of psilocybin under licence from the state. Anyone over 21 will be able to possess 4g and consume without penalty and former convictions will be expunged if the bill before the legislature succeeds.
The products, according to the Post, would have to be consumed at premises that would offer users preparation and guidance through their hallucinogenic episodes.
The move follows the release of FDA guidelines last year citing psilocybinâs promise as a treatment for mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction.
The other two enlightened states where the drug is decriminalised are, of course, Oregon and Colorado, along with cities such as Seattle and Detroit.
If âJoisyâ comes as a surprise addition to this list, itâs worth noting that itâs one of the nearly half of US states to have legalised cannabis, while here even users of legal prescription cannabis arenât safe from the cops.
Maybe itâs appropriate for âThe Garden Stateâ to add an extra horticultural string to its bow in the form of mushroom cultivation.
On the other hand, this is a state that does not allow drivers to gas up their own cars.
Weâve had self-service petrol bowsers since the 1970s, but when it comes to drugs other than alcohol, Australia really has no chill.
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