As Colorado becomes the second state to
legalize psychedelic therapy this week, a clash is playing out in
Colorado Springs, where conservative leaders are restricting the
treatment over objections from some of the city's 90,000 veterans,
who've become flagbearers for psychedelic therapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Colorado residents voted to legalize the therapeutic use of
psilocybin, the chemical compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, in a
2022 ballot measure, launching 2 years of rulemaking before it could be
used to treat conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD).
This
week, companies and people will be able to apply for licenses to
administer the mind-altering drug, though treatment will likely not be
available for some months as applications are processed.
Colorado joined Oregon in legalizing psilocybin therapy, though the
drug remains illegal in most other states and federally. Over the last
year, a growing number of Oregon cities have voted to ban psilocybin. While Colorado metros cannot ban the treatment under state
law, several conservative cities have worked to preemptively restrict
what are known as "healing centers."
At a city council meeting in Colorado Springs this month, members
were set to vote on extending the state prohibition on healing centers
from 1,000 feet to 1 mile from certain locations, such as schools. From
the lectern, veterans implored them not to.
"We have an opportunity to support veterans, and it's a really easy
one to say 'yes' to," said Lane Belone, a special forces veteran who
said he's benefited from his own psychedelic experiences. Belone argued
that the restrictions effectively limit the number of centers and would
mean longer waiting lists for the treatment.
Veterans
have pulled in some conservative support for psychedelic therapy,
managing to set it apart from other politically charged drug policies
such as legalizing marijuana.
That distinction was made clear by council member David Leinweber,
who said at the council meeting both that marijuana is "literally
killing our kids" and that he supported greater access to psilocybin
therapy.
Psilocybin is far more restricted in Colorado than marijuana, which
the state legalized in 2014. Psilocybin is decriminalized but there
won't be recreational dispensaries for the substance, which will be
largely confined to licensed businesses and therapy sessions with
licensed facilitators.
Patients will have to go through a risk assessment, preliminary
meetings, then follow-up sessions and remain with a facilitator while
under the drug's influence. The psilocybin will also be tested, and the
companies that grow them regulated by a state agency.
Still, allowing broader access to the treatment hasn't been easy for
most of the city council members, including three who are veterans.
Colorado Springs is home to several military installations, including
the U.S. Air Force Academy, and local leaders have touted it as an ideal
community for retired service members.
"I
will never sit up here and criticize a veteran for wanting to find a
medical treatment to fix or to help with the issues that they carry,"
said Council President Randy Helms, a veteran himself.
Still, he continued, "Do I think that it's helpful to not just
veterans but to individuals? Probably so. Do I think it still needs to
be tested under strict requirements? Yes."
The Colorado Springs City Council passed the proposed restrictions.
While research has shown promise for psychedelic drugs such as
psilocybin and MDMA, also known as molly, in helping people with
conditions such as alcoholism, depression, and PTSD, the scientific field remains in its relatively early stages.
"I'm very positive about the potential value, but I'm very concerned
that we've gotten too far ahead of our skis," said Jeffrey Lieberman,
MD, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University in New York City,
who's been involved in studies of psychedelic drugs' therapeutic
efficacy.
The
risks, said Lieberman, include customers being misled and paying out of
pocket for expensive treatments. He also said there are cases where the
drugs can exacerbate some extreme mental health conditions, such as
schizophrenia.
In Oregon, where the treatments started in June 2023, costs can reach
$2,000 for one session. Of the over 16,000 doses administered in the
state, staff have only called 911 or taken a patient to the hospital
five times.
Other Colorado Springs city council members raised concerns that the FDA has not approved psilocybin to treat mental health conditions and, in August, rejected the psychedelic MDMA to treat PTSD. A number of clinical trials are still underway for both drugs.
Some researchers, advocacy groups, and veterans worry that waiting on
slow-moving bureaucracy -- namely the FDA -- carries its own risks
as people continue to struggle with mental illnesses. Advocates argue
that psychedelic therapy offers an option to those for whom talk therapy
alone and antidepressants have not helped.
"This
is a crisis that we are in, and this is a tool that we can add to our
toolbox," said Taylor West, executive director of the Healing Advocacy
Fund, which advocates for psychedelic therapy.
Belone said he's carried his military experience long after leaving
the special forces. It started when he first heard artillery sirens
wailing in a U.S. base in Iraq, his breath catching with fear for a few
thudding moments.
That fear kept him on edge when he returned stateside and found
himself always keeping his back to the wall, looking for exits to the
room he was in, never quite able to give himself fully to the music at a
concert.
A psychedelic experience with psilocybin, said Belone, helped him
connect the fear that attached to him in the war zone to the ceaseless
anxiety at home. It didn't solve everything overnight, he said, but it
allowed him to better identify when that humming fear was getting in the
way of a joyful life.
