What a long, strange trip it could have been had Gov. Gavin Newsom not vetoed Senate Bill 58, a bill that would have decriminalized natural psychedelics including psilocybin, the psychoactive component of psychedelic mushrooms.
If the bill had passed, it would have eliminated criminal penalties for the use and possession of substances containing psilocin and psilocybin such as mushrooms, mescaline and dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Possession was limited to those 21 or older, and the sale or personal exchange of psychedelics would have remained illegal.
“Just very disappointed,” said Jesse Gould, a former U.S. Army ranger who was not happy with the decision. Gould is the founder of the Heroic Hearts Project, an organization he created after discovering the benefits of psychedelic therapy when returning from three deployments to Afghanistan.
The Project was also a sponsor of SB 58.
“We put a lot of time, effort and energy into it. He had ample time to let us know the actual trajectory that he wanted, which he mentioned in his reason for vetoing it. So for us, it wasn’t really a good excuse,” said Gould. “He could have easily told us that before he wasted three years of time, energy and funding to get there only for him to veto it…I feel like the democracy had spoken.”
The bill would have also required the California Health and Human Services Agency to research the therapeutic use of the substances and provide findings from the study to the government. The measure originally passed the Senate 21-14, with all Republicans either voting no or abstaining. Several Democrats also opposed the measure.
The decision to veto the bill has impacted several groups, including criminal justice reform advocates seeking to end the war on drugs and veteran groups that use psychedelic substances to treat PTSD, anxiety and depression.
Gould suffered from severe PTSD after returning from deployment. After quitting his investment banking job, he took a trip to Peru where he took part in an ayahuasca retreat. Jesse was amazed that his symptoms had disappeared after he returned from the retreat.
“I had a very challenging but profound experience, and towards the end, it really did seem to change my life in a positive way,” he said.
Gould felt that the experience healed some of the traumatic brain injury he sustained during his time as a mortarman.
“From my experience, and then talking with other veterans…it seemed like there was this need for at least more people to know that there are other options to explore if they’ve tried everything else.”
Gould founded HHP in April 2017, and it has since helped hundreds of veterans overcome their trauma through various treatment programs and recovery resources.
Gould said that veterans still face an uncomfortable choice.
“[Veterans] risk being declared a criminal, or go overseas to save their own mental health.I don’t know if anybody should feel proud of the fact that a veteran who is struggling has two choices essentially if they fall through the cracks of the VA. But that’s the realistic nature of us as a country not giving veterans the care they deserve.”
Many groups opposed the bill, including groups like the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and several politicians including California Senate minority leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego). Detractors of the bill believe more clinical research and studies are necessary to verify the safety of the substances. Many psychedelics are still labeled as Schedule I controlled substances, the same category as methamphetamine and heroin, which has made it difficult to conduct research and establish regulations around the substances.
There was also strong opposition from many parental organizations, including the conservative, faith-based California Family Council due to worries related to the lack of research and the possible dangers of young adults and teenagers experimenting with these substances.
While the research around psychotherapy with substances such as psilocybin, LSD, MDMA and ketamine has gained more traction in recent years, there are still many knowledge gaps that exist.
Dr. Scott Shannon founded the Wholeness Center, a mental health clinic based in Fort Collins, Colo. which provides specialized psychotherapy services. Shannon said that an individual seeking psychedelic treatment for mental health issues like depression, trauma or PTSD should first undergo an evaluation with a psychotherapist. He calls this preliminary trust-building phase “building the container.” Then, the individual will be administered the substance and provided with headphones to listen to music, “which helps them to focus on the inner work that they need to do,” he said.
“I’d say the field is more determined by the gaps that exist than the knowledge that exists,” said Shannon. “The research results that we have so far are very exciting but very preliminary.”
Shannon said that the results only cover a small amount of what needs to be understood for psychedelics to assume a larger role in society: long-term benefits, durability and long-term risks.
“In the short run, we know that they seem to be quite safe and quite well tolerated, but in the long run, we have more questions than we have answers.”
Some USC students believe that there should be more education and discussion about these substances at the college level. Carly Hamel, a junior studying neuroscience, founded MYCO, a new club at USC that focuses on learning about plants and fungi. She said due to the stigma surrounding psychedelics, she wasn’t surprised by Newsom’s decision to veto SB 58.
“There’s so much research right now that is being done with psychedelics, especially psilocybin,” said Hamel when asked what steps should be taken to raise more awareness around these substances. “And I think we just need to put that out there, to talk about it more and to bring it to our classes. I really think it’s just talking about the research that’s been happening and bringing it to the college level and educating this generation, so in future years, we [will] know more about it.”
While Gould and his team at HHP are unable to access the psychedelic substances they rely on in California, they can work with other states that have decriminalized the substances.
“We are making movements in other states that have more [people] that are willing to work with us on [the] veteran mental health crisis. So hopefully we can move forward with them and provide some refuge for veterans in need in California,” said Gould.
He said the project is working to set up veterans with access to psychedelics in states like Oregon, where the laws are more favorable.
“That’s where my nonprofit comes in, connecting veterans who are not being served by this country to effective means of mental health care.”