Governor's veto of bill on synthetic psilocybin drugs takes key lawmaker by surprise

Dried magic mushrooms with spore prints on tin foil. (Photo)
A key lawmaker said he was surprised by Gov. Kim Reynolds' veto this week of a bill that would have allowed for the prescription and distribution of synthetic psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in 'magic mushrooms' following federal approval of the drug.
Reynolds said the bill 'moves ahead' of public health systems, law enforcement and regulatory systems in the state.
'This decision is not a dismissal of the emerging science or the sincere advocacy behind this legislation,' Reynolds said in her explanation of the veto. 'Rather, it is a call for a more deliberate and Iowa-centric approach.'
House File 383 was one of two bills from the Iowa House this year that sought to legalize the use of psychedelics as a treatment for mental health issues, like post-traumatic stress disorder.
The bill's floor manager, Rep. Brett Barker, R-Nevada, said the veto from the governor was 'unexpected' considering the bill passed with unanimous consent in both chambers.
'I look forward to having a conversation with the Governor to learn more about her concerns regarding the bill,' Barker said in an email.
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The other bill, House File 978, would have created a psilocybin licensing board in Iowa, and similar to the state's medical marijuana program, would have allowed eligible patients access to the drug while it is still federally classified as Schedule I substance.
The bill advanced from the House but was not heard in the Senate.
HF 383, the bill put before the governor, would have immediately rescheduled any drugs containing crystalline polymorph psilocybin, the synthetic version of the compound, if they were approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Under the bill and conditioned circumstances, it would be legal to prescribe, distribute and market drugs with the ingredient, which is also sometimes referred to as COMP360.
Clinical trials of COMP360 as a treatment for PTSD and treatment resistant depression have been conducted and are ongoing.
A similar bill was signed into law in Colorado in March. Colorado and Oregon are the only states with legalized medical licensing programs for psilocybin.
Reynolds said she does 'recognize and respect the growing body of research into the potential therapeutic benefits of psilocybin' but she said the compound should be approved by FDA and the Drug Enforcement Agency before Iowa acts to reschedule.
'The pathway provided by this bill for legalization of psilocybin at the state level before we have a chance to review federal action … creates legal uncertainty, poses risks for misuse and could undermine broader efforts to ensure safe and effective therapeutic use in the future,' Reynolds said.
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