Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) filed legislation on Friday to remove a legal barrier that scientists say makes it unnecessarily difficult for them to study the medical benefits of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and MDMA.
Psilocybin, the active component of so-called "magic mushrooms," and MDMA, commonly referred to as "ecstasy," have "shown promise in end of life therapy and treating PTSD," a summary of Ocasio-Cortez's proposal says.
The measure, which is an
amendment to a large-scale appropriations bill funding parts of the government for Fiscal Year 2020, would delete a longstanding rider that prohibits spending federal money for "any activity that promotes the legalization of any drug or other substance in Schedule I" of the Controlled Substances Act.
"Academics and scientists report that provisions like this create [stigma] and insurmountable logistical hurdles to researching schedule I drugs," the summary states.
Cannabis is classified under Schedule I as well, and researchers wishing to study it also have to overcome procedural hurdles that don't exist for other less-restricted substances.
