Missouri is supporting research into how magic mushrooms can treat drug addiction with $5 million in opioid compensation funds

Missouri officials are asking for expert assistance as they prepare to award $5 million to study whether psilocybin can help treat opioid use disorder and curb overdose deaths.

In a memo released Monday, the state Department of Mental Health asked contractors to help the agency develop competitive grants for the psychedelics project.

“The [request for information] “The goal is to provide providers with the opportunity to provide us with ideas, suggestions, and other relevant information specific to opioid research and its ability to treat opioid addiction,” the memo said.

Ultimately, the goal is to develop a call for psilocybin-related opioid research.

The grant program is the result of HB 2010, a spending bill that allocated $5 million from the state's opioid harm fund to investigate opioid overdoses. Originally, the accrual was for twice that amount – $10 million – and was briefly earmarked for research into ibogaine as a potential treatment in place of psilocybin.

The line was later changed to focus on psilocybin, but before its final adoption all references to the specific substances were removed.

The line adopted by the legislature is not clear. The column once said the money was for “research into ibogaine and its ability to treat opioid addiction,” which was later changed to say it was for “research into psilocybin and its ability to treat opioid addiction.” . As finalized, the measure states that the money would be intended “for opioid research and its ability to treat opioid addiction.”

Separately, the Department of Mental Health is awarding money with a focus on psilocybin.

“The purpose of this request for information (RFI) is to obtain written feedback from the provider community to be used in the preparation of a request for proposal (RFP) for the procurement of opioid-related research on psilocybin for the state of Missouri,” it states new document says.

Here are the questions asked in the request for information:

1. How would research into the use of psilocybin be conducted? Please indicate in the detailed statement whether human subjects are used.
2. How long would the research project likely last and would it be conducted in phases? Please include a detailed explanation of each phase.
3. Please explain the Food and Drug Administration's August 2024 full response letter to Lykos Therapeutics indicating that the FDA does not approve methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy for PTSD at this time based on the data submitted would allow use of psilocybin to impact your research in this area.
4. Please explain how research on the use of psilocybin falls within one or more of the approved uses specifically listed in Schedule E of the National Opioid Settlements.
5. In the event that a court or the National Settlement Administration determines that research into the use of psilocybin and its ability to treat opioid use does not constitute an approved use under the requirements of the National Opioid Settlements, will the seller return the amount of the grant to the State?
6. Provide your recommendations on the RFP for psilocybin research related to the ability to treat opioid use. Such recommendations should include an explanation of why consideration of such proposals would be beneficial to the State and how the proposal relates to ensuring the prevention, treatment, or recovery of opioid use.

Respondents must submit their answers by the end of October.

Eapen Thampy, a lobbyist and founder of the group Psychedelic Missouri, who supported the provision of ibogaine, said: “Ultimately, it's a very exciting thing that Missouri wants to understand what role psychedelics could play in solving substance crises,” including opioids .”

However, he stressed that he would still like to see further research into what role ibogaine may play.

“We will look for opportunities to fund ibogaine research as a breakthrough therapy for opioid use disorder,” he said.

HB 2010 was sponsored by Rep. Cody Smith (R). The short-lived addition of ibogaine, meanwhile, was the work of Rep. Chad Perkins (R), a longtime police officer.

Smith, who also introduced the subsequent amendment replacing ibogaine with psilocybin, previously stated that the ibogaine proposal was rejected based on a conversation he had with the state's Department of Mental Health.

“They had concerns about the ibogaine research that they had read, and there are concerns about the dangers associated with that research,” Smith said. “However, they are interested in the psilocybin piece. And we’ve seen many other states use their opioid settlement funds for this purpose.”

At the time, Perkins said he was “not disappointed” with the change.

“I believe that increased awareness of the benefits of psychedelics was a side effect of pursuing this budget item,” he told Marijuana Moment. “This issue will hopefully raise the profile of psychedelics and provide a basis on which we can base future policy decisions.”

As for ibogaine, a Stanford University study published earlier this year found that combat veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) experienced “dramatic” and “life-changing” improvements in their symptoms and cognitive function immediately after treatment with the substance. In response to the increased need for research, the DEA has proposed a dramatic increase in the production quota for ibogaine and other psychedelic compounds in 2024.

Meanwhile, marijuana employers in Missouri are embroiled in a lawsuit over workers' efforts to unionize, with St. Louis-based cannabis company Beleaf Medical arguing that its employees are farmworkers and therefore have no right to unionize.

Allegations continue that predatory operators in the state's marijuana program have exploited welfare applicants for business licenses to gain control of the industry.

Leading Democrats in Congress are urging the DEA to “swiftly” move marijuana and “continue to explore” full legalization.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Mushroom Observer.