Colorado Considers Psilocybin Prescription Legislation

LOS ANGELES- Colorado lawmakers have introduced House Bill 25-1063, a bipartisan proposal that would permit the prescription of crystalline polymorph psilocybin—a synthetic form of the psychedelic compound—contingent upon approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The bill, sponsored by Representatives Anthony Hartsook (R) and Kyle Brown (D), aims to provide healthcare providers with an additional treatment option for patients experiencing conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression. Representative Hartsook, a combat veteran, emphasized the potential benefits for veterans, stating, “This bill is about a prescription-level medication that’s a derivative… designed to treat veterans or anybody that has PTSD, a traumatic brain injury, depression that hasn’t responded to other treatments.”

Psilocybin, the active ingredient in certain psychedelic mushrooms, has been designated as a “Breakthrough Therapy” by the FDA, a status intended to expedite the development and review of drugs for serious or life-threatening conditions. However, the timeline for FDA approval of synthetic psilocybin remains uncertain.

In 2022, Colorado voters approved Proposition 122, decriminalizing the personal use of natural psilocybin and other psychedelic substances for adults aged 21 and over. The current legislative proposal focuses specifically on the medical application of a synthetic psilocybin variant, to be administered in controlled settings upon federal approval.

The bill has progressed through initial legislative stages, receiving favorable consideration from the House Committee on Health & Human Services. If enacted, it would align Colorado’s statutes with potential future federal approvals, enabling the medical prescription of synthetic psilocybin within the state.