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SB242 has passed out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee with a 4-1 vote in our favor! The bill now moves to our Nevada Senate floor for a vote (date TBD). More info here. Unfortunately, over the course of the last month, the bill has undergone significant changes and we are working hard to ensure that it contains a path for decriminalization. Read the full text of SB242 here.
This is a huge step toward bringing healing to our communities and a pivotal moment for criminal justice reform in our state. We are raising funds to lobby in support of this bill. You can help by donating, spreading the word, and joining the coalition. Thank you for your support--every donation makes a difference!
Why is the issue of psychedelic drug policy reform critical?
Our state and country are facing a mental health crisis.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health, leading to increased levels of anxiety, depression, and addiction.
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Each day between 22 and 26 veterans end their lives with a recent study tragically revealing that number may be as high as 40 per day.
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Our nation continues to battle the opiate epidemic.
Current treatments are ineffective and failing. There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, particularly for treating mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, OCD, and eating disorders. Clinical trials are underway to explore the therapeutic potential for psychedelic medicines such as psilocybin (the active compound in magic mushrooms) in treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. This evidence suggests that these substances have the potential to help address some of the most pressing public health issues facing society today.
Currently, most psychedelics are still classified as Schedule I substances, meaning they are considered to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. Decades of research have now demonstrated that psychedelic medicines such as psilocybin hold great therapeutic value and carry little, if any, potential for abuse. This has led to calls for drug policy reform to re-evaluate the scheduling of psychedelics and to allow for greater access to these substances for healing. In addition, the safety profile for classic psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin is far superior to that of alcohol and tobacco.
Safety
Leading neuropsychopharmacologist David Nutt's harm scale is a widely cited ranking system that compares the harmfulness of various drugs based on a range of criteria, including physical harm, dependence, and social harm. According to this scale, alcohol and tobacco are ranked among the most harmful drugs, whereas psilocybin is ranked relatively low in terms of harm. Psilocybin has a relatively low risk of physical harm and a favorable safety profile when used responsibly with appropriate guidance.
Legislation in Nevada
Senate Bill Draft 4039 has been introduced in Nevada to “revise provisions governing controlled substances.” The conversation is currently focused on psilocybin (the active component in magic mushrooms). We commend our legislators for their efforts to revise outdated drug policy so that our citizens may pursue these novel treatments for healing without fear of prosecution. Join us in building a network to support this effort.
Growth Pioneers Podcast features Sierra Psychedelic Society & NCPM
Click the links below to listen to this powerful conversation about advocating for psychedelic medicine, the neuroscience behind the healing properties, and benefits to first responders and veterans. Doug Erwin and Kate Cotter also dive deep into the importance of education and integration, as well as the current state of policy in Nevada regarding SB242.
CURRENT STATUS OF SB242
Great news: SB242 has passed out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee with a 4-1 vote in our favor! Read the full text of SB242 here.
The bill now moves to our Nevada Senate floor for a vote (date TBD). Unfortunately, over the course of the last month, the bill has undergone significant changes and we are working hard to ensure that it contains a path for decriminalization.
When we started this journey in January we faced an uncertain path. Thanks to your contributions, however, we have been able to make notable progress. SB-242 began this session with the confirmed support of only three legislators who were brave enough to co-sponsor Senator Nguyen’s bill. We now have officially double the number of co-sponsors, with many more waiting for the opportunity to also sign on and support our bill.
For those who have already donated, we are SO grateful! Your generous contributions have facilitated hundreds of hours combined between the NCPM team and our skilled lobbyist to garner support for this bill. We have been meeting with many legislators personally to educate and to bring awareness around the issue of psychedelic medicine. This hard work is now paying off and the number of senators in support is growing. This would not have been possible without your financial support! Among our key highlights for this newsletter, we want to let you know that Senators Hansen, Stone, Harris, and Ohrenschall have decided also to co-sponsor our bill, ensuring it will have bi-partisan support.
As we pass the first deadline, we still have a lot of work ahead. This is a critical moment if we are to succeed in providing a pathway for decriminalization in the face of certain opposition.
We need your help to fund our lobbying efforts for the remainder of the legislative session!
We are now working on gaining the support of more senators to ensure it passes on the Senate floor. Once it does, it will still need to pass the Assembly and find support majority support among the 42 legislators before it heads to the Governor for signature. We are optimistic that our combined efforts and shared vision will make all the difference, but we need your CONTINUED HELP NOW MORE THAN EVER to keep the momentum through the end of session to make this bill a reality.
Thank you for taking a stand for healing. Our community and network are growing exponentially! Those of us who have experienced the therapeutic value, and in many cases, the life-saving benefits of psychedelic medicines, understand that this is a critical time for us to unite in raising awareness and affecting political change. We are deeply grateful for your willingness, dedication, and participation in this growing movement, and to be connected with each and every one of you!
In gratitude,
The NCPM Team