State psychedelics legalization and policy roundup — October 2025

This post is part of an ongoing series summarizing state-based psychedelic reforms intended for policy professionals.

Kentucky

On Aug. 27, the Interim Joint Committee on Health Services discussed whether Kentucky should join a multi-state collaborative to conduct clinical trials of ibogaine as a treatment for certain neurological conditions, including opioid addiction. In 2023, the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission first broached the idea of directing a portion of the state’s opioid settlement funds toward ibogaine research to develop a novel, and potentially far more effective, treatment than what is currently available. That initiative was scrapped after a new state attorney general was elected. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Gov. Andy Beshear has expressed skepticism about the safety of ibogaine treatment. The legislature has not yet scheduled any further action on the issue (such as the introduction of a bill like in Texas to grant public funds for research).

Mississippi

Reason Foundation Research Director Geoff Lawrence testified at a state legislature Public Health Joint Committee hearing on Aug. 28, in which lawmakers learned about the possibilities of ibogaine as a potential treatment for a wide range of neurological conditions. Lawrence discussed the known benefits of ibogaine as a potential treatment for opioid use disorder, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative disease, along with efforts in other states, including Texas, to fund FDA-supervised clinical trials (testimony begins around here at the 1:36 minute mark).

Massachusetts

House Bill 2506 from state Rep. Steve Owens (D-29) would allow limited personal possession and transfer of psilocybin for military veterans, law enforcement officers, and those with a ”qualifying condition,” which is defined by the bill as ”a medical condition for which at least two and a majority of relevant clinical studies suggest psilocybin therapy in a clinical environment is safe and tolerable and which is not a disqualifying condition.’ Individuals may not have a disqualifying condition, which is defined in the bill as “bipolar disorder, a schizophrenia spectrum disorder, a Cluster A personality disorder, a Cluster B personality disorder, or a medical condition for which at least two and a majority of relevant clinical studies suggest psilocybin therapy in a clinical environment is not safe.”

Oregon

House Bill 3043 (introduced at the request of Gov. Tina Kotek’s office) states that a licensed medical practitioner may not be disciplined for using psilocybin under the state’s regulated program. The bill amends the state’s program to allow for reentry into medical professions for those who were once declared “impaired” by substance abuse. Specifically, a medical professional cannot be disciplined for legal psilocybin use if they used it “before entry into the impaired health professional program, if the licensee did not practice while impaired.”

Senate Bill 844 (introduced at the request of the governor’s office) requires the Oregon Health Authority to keep personally identifiable information confidential related to complaints against a psilocybin service center or licensee.

Pennsylvania

S1400, sponsored by state Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-Middlesex), would task the Department of Health with creating a pilot program for treatments with psychedelics. On Sept. 11, it received a favorable vote from the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery and has been referred to the Committee on Healthcare Financing.

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