Bill that would legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy gets committee OK

U.S. Army veteran Stefan Egan says psilocybin saved his life.  

Egan suffered both physical and mental trauma after five deployments as a counterintelligence agent. After a suicide attempt nearly took his life, Egan turned to alternative treatment options.

“Unlike many of my brothers and sisters in arms, I was provided the opportunity to use psilocybin in a therapeutic manner — albeit from the illicit market — but therapeutic, nonetheless. Without that access I wouldn’t be here,” he told the House Health Finance and Policy Committee Monday.

In the context of certain therapies, this psychedelic (most commonly derived from certain mushrooms) could soon no longer be illicit in Minnesota.

Sponsored by Rep. Andy Smith (DFL-Rochester), HF2906, as amended, would legalize psilocybin for therapeutic use and reclassify the drug from Schedule I to Schedule IV.

With bipartisan support via voice vote, the bill was sent to the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee.

Smith emphasized that this bill, based on the 2025 recommendations by the Psychedelic Medicine Task Force, would not legalize the recreational use of psilocybin. Only a select group of adults 21 and older who are diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition would be eligible to receive this kind of therapy and psilocybin would be administered under strict supervision by a licensed facilitator.

Qualifying conditions would be determined by the Department of Health. The Office of Cannabis Management would oversee patient registries, facilitator licensing and the cultivation and testing of mushrooms.

Rep. Nolan West (R-Blaine), a co-sponsor of the bill, said it mirrors much of the federal discussion around the medical use of psychedelics — even discussions by Republicans, he emphasized.

Last month, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his agency and the Department of Veterans Affairs are working to finalize rules allowing access to psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Multiple veterans were among dozens of testifiers in support of the bill. Legislators also heard from doctors and therapists. No testifiers spoke against the bill.

“If this was a terrible idea you would have seen medical professionals here saying that,” West said.