PSILOCYBIN (HB 3414) FACTSHEET Recent research has shown psilocybin to be the most effective treatment ever discovered for depression, PTSD, alcoholism and other serious, life - dest roying psychological conditions. Recent Research has further shown that it has a lower risk profile than many drugs currently prescribed for these conditions, including SSRI s (Prozac, etc). Psilocybin was initially banned in 1970, absent any scientific data related to its use. Now, five decades later, agencies from the FDA to the Nati onal Institute on Drug Abuse as well as researchers from such top universities as Johns Hopkins are all recognizing it to have enormous medical value without the abuse liability warranting its status as a Sch edule I substance. Note: psilocybin mushrooms grow naturally all around Oklahoma (and the region). They can be picked by the dozens after rainstorms off of any cattle rancher’s land. HB 3414 does NOT permit commercial sales It will remain a felony for an yone to trade/sell/gift psilocybin. The bill just permits research , and gives the court the opportunity to consider the healthcare history of someone charged with small, per sonal use amounts of psilocybin mushrooms , have them plead to the facts of the case , but set aside a criminal conviction when the judge considers that appropriate. HISTORY AND LEGAL STATUS “there is an urgency to bring treatments [such as emerging psychedelic medicines] for people that are suffering from severe mental illness which can be devastating.” Nora Volkow, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, January 2022 - Psilo cybin Mushrooms, used for thousands of years in Europe, Asia and the Americans, w ere not banned in the United States until the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, and without any scientific research supporting the ban. - Although other Fe deral Schedule I drugs are banned in accordance with UN Treaties, Ps ilocyb in Mushroom s remain legal and unrestricted at the international level. They g row naturally around the world, including throughout Oklahoma. - They are legal or decriminalized throughout much of the world , including: Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Brazil, Virgin Islands, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Jamaica, Nepal, Netherlands, Portugal, Samoa, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay, an d Canada (by prescription for depression, end of life care, etc.). - They have already been decriminalized in various US cities and states, with bills pending in further states (including Virginia, Missouri, New York, Cal ifornia, Florida, Michigan, Rhode Island, Kansas and Maine). - In May 2018, President Trump signed the Right to Try Act for drugs currently under FDA investigation , and in October 2018, the FDA granted psilocybin the status of “breakthrough therapy,” giving it priority status for clinical trials and regulatory revie w. We , h owever, need HB 3414 in order to include psilocybin under this initiative. THERAPEUTIC VALUE “ Psilocybin gives us an incredible opportunity to modify the way we are doing things .” Nora Volkow, January 2022 - Numerous recent scientific publications have repeatedly shown significant benefits for medical conditions such as depression, i migraines/cluster headaches, ii and post - traumatic stress disorder. iii - Most who use Psilocybin have already tried at least three prescription medications for their medical condition (Depression, P TSD, Migraines , etc), but have not found them effective. - Therapeutic use has two primarily modalities. The first is “microdo sing,” where there is no noticeable psyc hoactive/mind altering effect. Doses of mushrooms up to approximately one gram (10mg of psilocybin), are considered “microdoses.” The second (usually above 2g of mushrooms/20mg of psilocybin) would be the threshold for psychoactivity/mind - altering effect. Unlike other hallucin ogens, the effects are very mild , tend to be more sedating/relaxing, and much shorter in duration (2 - 4 hours). EXPERTS AGREE: NOT A DRUG OF ABUSE “[t]here is no evidence that psilocybin is addictive” Nora Volkow, M.D., July, 2006 - Unlike opioids, cocaine , methamphetamine, and even c annabis, p silocybin does not have a physiological mechanis m of addiction/dependence. S tudies show in both animal tria ls and real - wor ld human use that it is without the key markers of abuse liability (i.e., Psilocybin does not provide reward - reinforcement, euphoria , or cause withdrawal). iv - Medical r esearchers have directly argued that psilocybin falls dramatically short of the criteria for Schedule I substances. v Real - world evidence for this includes data from intakes for substance abuse centers, where Opioids represent 29%, Cocaine 6%, and Alcohol 37%, less than 0.1% are treated for any hallucinogen abuse. vi Not - habit - forming, not - addictive. vii - With regards to sub stance - related ER visits: Opioid s 17%, Cocaine 10%, Alcohol 14%, and Psilocybin less than 0.1% viii - Despite Psilocybin being used by almost as many people as Opioids (8.5% vs 10.3%), ample evidence shows a lack of societal harms in the case of the former. - There are zero established deaths from Psilocybin. - Where legal, people with depression, migraines, and post - traumatic stress disorder have been turning to psilocybin, after tryi ng, unsuccessfully, three or more pharmaceuticals. No one should risk criminal penalties when trying to address their healthcare needs, especially with natural substances with exceptional safety profiles. i New England Journal of Medicine , 2021. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa2032994 ii Neurotherapeutics, 2021. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13311 - 020 - 00962 - y.pdf iii International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology , 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7311646/ iv “The Abuse Potential of Medical Psilocybin according to the 8 Fact ors of the Controlled Substances Act,” Neuropharmacology , November 2018, 143 - 166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.05.012 v “The Abuse Potential of Medical Psilocybin according to the 8 Factors of the Controlled Substances Act,” Neuropharmacology , November 2018, 143 - 166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.05.012 vi Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/client - level - data - teds/reports?tab=18 vii https://www.brown.edu/campus - life/health/services/promotion/alcohol - other - drugs - other - drugs/psilocybin - mushrooms viii Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2011. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/DAWN2k11ED/DAWN2k11ED/DAWN2k11ED.pdf