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Utah is latest state to approve therapeutic studies of hallucinogenic mushrooms on mental health, PTSD

Matthew Butler, who spent 27 years in the Army, holds a 2014 photograph of himself during his last deployment in Afghanistan. Butler, of Sandy, Utah, is among veterans in several states urging lawmakers to allow the therapeutic use of hallucinogenic mushrooms and other psychedelic drugs to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Rick Bowmer/Associated Press
Matthew Butler, who spent 27 years in the Army, holds a 2014 photograph of himself during his last deployment in Afghanistan. Butler, of Sandy, Utah, is among veterans in several states urging lawmakers to allow the therapeutic use of hallucinogenic mushrooms and other psychedelic drugs to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

Utah is one of the latest states to approve studies of the medicinal properties of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Veterans advocates are pushing for therapeutic studies on the effectiveness of psilocybin for treating combat PTSD and other mental health issues; that’s the psychedelic active ingredient found in certain mushrooms.

In February of 2022, the Utah House overwhelmingly approved a bill to create a Psychedelics Study Task Force to research and make recommendations on the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs and possible regulations for their lawful use.

The bill would also outline the pros and cons of legalization or decriminalization of psychedelics.

Hawaii, Maryland, Connecticut, Texas and Oklahoma have all passed similar bills in recent years.