Georgia Legislators Discuss Psychedelics for Veter
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Hallucinogenic drugs have seen a major resurgence in scientific interest over the past decade. Psychedelics were extremely popular from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s before they were criminalized. Even though people still consumed psychedelic drugs, albeit illegally, researchers were basically unable to study them for their potential benefits and risks. But with psychedelic interest among the scientific community surging, it has became clear that psychedelic drugs do have medical applications.
Clinical trials have found that hallucinogenic drugs have the potential to treat mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, as well as eating disorders, when paired with conventional psychotherapy. Researchers have also found certain hallucinogenic drugs to be particularly effective at treating conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive syndrome, which are synonymous in the military veteran community.
However, federal law still prohibits the production, sale and consumption of psychedelics, meaning veterans who stand to benefit immensely from psychedelic-assisted therapy have to make do with alternatives that aren’t as safe or effective.
In the state of Georgia, officials are looking to remove the barriers that prevent military veterans from accessing much-needed psychedelic treatments. During a recent hearing on issues that face military veterans, state lawmakers discussed the potential effectiveness of using psychedelics such as psilocybin as a treatment for severe mental health conditions.
The House Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee heard testimonies from experts and people who had personally experienced psychedelics treatments, with the committee receiving information on emerging research indicating that psychedelics may have potential long-term benefits for mental conditions such as PTSD.
In March, the committee approved a bipartisan resolution calling for the formation of a House study committee to study the medical potential of psychedelic drugs. The committee would also be tasked with making recommendations for psychedelic reform based on its research into their therapeutic potential.
However, Committee chair Heath Clark said that with more than a dozen study committees being formed during the last legislative session, the psychedelics proposal was not enacted. Despite the legislation’s failure to cross the finish line, Clark said that it is crucial to have a discussion on the potential mental health benefits of psychedelic treatments for veterans. He said the hearing was essential because it would allow the committee to make recommendations on how to move forward with psychedelics, including providing funding to study how hallucinogenic drugs can benefit veterans.
Emory Healthcare Veterans Program medical director Boadie Dunlop was one of the witnesses who testified at the hearing, stating that he had recently co-published a study on psilocybin-assisted therapy that found definitive proof that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy can be effective against psychiatric disorders.
Several other entities, such as Silo Pharma Inc. (OTCQB: SILO), are also focused on conducting studies aimed at developing novel ways to treat psychiatric and other indications using psychedelic compounds such as ketamine and psilocybin.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Silo Pharma Inc. (OTCQB: SILO) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SILO
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