JEFFERSON CITY — As Missouri grapples with a high rate of suicide among military veterans, state legislators this year will again consider whether members of that vulnerable population should have access to alternative medical treatments.
Oregon Magic Mushrooms
Psilocybin mushrooms are shown in a growing container before being removed and cut for distribution at Uptown Fungus in Springfield, Ore., Monday, Aug. 14, 2023.
Among those alternatives is psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in mushrooms that has shown promising results in studies.
Missouri lawmakers have been evaluating evidence that psilocybin, which is still illegal to use or possess under federal law, can have positive effects in treating mental disorders like depression and in particular, post-traumatic stress disorder.
If so, the treatment could make a dent in Missouri’s veteran suicide problem.
Missouri had 171 veteran suicides in 2022, and veteran suicide rate “significantly higher” than the nationwide rate, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sen.-elect Stephen Webber, D- Columbia, filed legislation to allow veterans age 21 or older to take part in a psilocybin study if they suffer from PTSD, major depressive disorder, substance use disorder or require end-of-life care.
The bill calls on the Legislature to fund up to $3 million annually for psilocybin research.
Webber’s proposal mirrors bills filed in previous years by other lawmakers. That legislation, despite bipartisan support, never made it to the governor’s desk.
As a freshman Democrat, Webber is hoping for similar support this year.
If the law does pass, Missouri would become the ninth state to allow psilocybin trials, including other conservative-led states like Texas and Utah, according to a database compiled by the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics.
Psilocybin is currently a Schedule I substance under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act, meaning it is considered to be highly addictive and has no medical utility.
Marijuana also is considered a Schedule I drug, though its use is now legal in Missouri.
Other alternatives
Psilocybin isn’t the only alternative treatment for veterans that lawmakers are targeting.
Rep. Chris Brown, R- Kansas City, refiled his proposal to treat veterans using hyperbaric oxygen therapy — delivering pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber.
The treatment is used for various medical conditions and can promote the healing of damaged tissue by helping the body grow new skin, blood vessels and connective tissues.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is legal in Missouri but is often not covered by insurance. Brown’s proposal would give veterans diagnosed with PTSD access to the therapy for free, with their provider being reimbursed by the state.
Brown said he wanted to provide veterans with a form of treatment that doesn’t involve drugs.
“It eliminates the drug aspect, so many veterans are treated with drugs for traumatic brain injuries, and unfortunately, the drugs lead to greater problems for (them),” Brown said in an interview with the Post-Dispatch. “Oxygen therapy heals the brain organically,” he continued.
Last session, Brown’s bill made it out of committee but never had a vote on the House floor.
Rep. Dave Griffith, R- Jefferson City, who’s chaired the House Veterans Committee since 2019, said he backs funding hyperbaric oxygen therapy. He also said he was supportive of the use of psilocybin under the right circumstances but hasn’t yet had a chance to review Webber’s plan.
Funding from opioid settlement
While there hasn’t been much in the way of legislative success for alternative treatments, money has been appropriated for research from a national $50 billion settlement that punished opioid manufacturers and distributors for their role in the country’s painkiller epidemic. Missouri is expected to receive hundreds of millions from the settlement over the next decade or so.
Last year $5 million of state’s opioid settlement money was budgeted for psilocybin research. That’s 7% of the state’s opioid settlement funds between 2021 and 2023.
The Department of Mental Health hasn’t awarded any of that $5 million for psilocybin research at this time, according to Debra Walker, the department’s director of public affairs. Walker also said the department hasn’t requested any research proposals yet.
A state law was passed last session instructing the Missouri Veterans Commission to investigate the causes of veteran suicide in Missouri. The commission recently tapped Lindsey Ward, a Marine Corps veteran and longtime veterans advocate, to lead its efforts on veteran suicide prevention.
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