Hawaii Senate Appropriations Committee approved a pair bills with the aim of promoting and investigating therapeutic potential of MDMA and psilocybin as an alternative to the treatment of mental illness.

The measures, which passed unanimously and are now headed to the Senate, received statements of support from the Governor’s Office, reported Marijuana moment.

What’s in the bills?

Funded by Senator Chris Lee (D), Invoice SB 1531 aims to Establishment of an “Advisory Board for Beneficial Treatments” that would respond to the governor’s Office for Wellness and Resilience (OWR).

Once passed, the measure would create an advisory board tasked with examining state and federal regulations regarding certain psychedelics, as well as reviewing the scientific literature related to their use for mental health treatment. In addition, the Advisory Board would encourage the creation of a “long-term strategic plan to ensure the availability of therapeutic psilocybin, psilocybin-based products and [MDMA] that are safe, accessible and affordable for adults 20+.”

According to the legislation“Legislators note that mental illness is treated in a variety of ways, depending on the condition, and may include medication, therapy and mental health services.” the use of MDMA, psilocybin, and other therapies as safe and effective methods of treating depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, end-of-life mental distress, and other conditions.”

The bill notes that psilocybin and MDMA have been called breakthroughs

therapies from the FDA.

Senator Ron Kouchi (D), which is sponsoring a separate bill, is attempting to set up a statewide task force to specifically study the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin.

SB1454 would Leading a new therapeutic psilocybin working group to study the “medicinal and therapeutic effects of psilocybin…