Bill would allow veterans to treat PTSD with psychedelic mushrooms

 

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A single drawing on a whiteboard inside a lab room at the Medical College of Wisconsin makes it easy to understand why researchers here believe psychedelics can effectively treat mental health disorders.

John McCorvy, an assistant professor of cell biology at the medical college, has specifically studied psilocybin, which many people know as "magic mushrooms."

In an interview Wednesday, McCorvy said he was encouraged by a bill circulating at the state Capitol; it would create a pilot program for the use of psilocybin as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, known as PTSD.

The experimental treatments would be limited to veterans 21 years or older who have documented cases of treatment-resistant PTSD. The pilot program would be administered by UW-Madison's Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances and the university's pharmacy school. 

The bill's original sponsors include two Republicans, State Rep. Nate Gustafson (R-Neenah) and State Sen. Jesse James (R-Altoona), and two Democrats, State Rep. Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit) and State Sen. Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton).

The bill is currently circulating around the Capitol for additional co-sponsors. Anderson said he was hopeful the bill will be assigned to legislative committees for public hearings when the Legislature returns to Madison in January.

Anderson said he's heard from some residents who want to expand the program to non-veterans suffering from major depression, but he said lawmakers wanted to start with a narrower group.

"I just think it's really important for our veterans; that is really what is boils down to," Anderson said. "Any avenue we can use to help them is something I'm willing to sign onto."

Why researchers are optimistic

McCorvy said psychedelic drugs like psilocybin feature the chemical compound, psilocin. That compound has a structure that closely mirrors that of serotonin, the chemical that occurs naturally in our bodies and affects functions like mood and appetite. 

Because the structures are so similar, psilocin can bind itself onto serotonin receptors in the brain. It then activates the receptors in a way that's different from what serotonin had been doing. 

"So, this compound basically has an ability to go straight to the source of this important serotonin receptor to have its biological effect," McCorvy said.

McCorvy explained during clinical treatment, patients receive a moderate-to-full dose of psilocybin. After a hallucinogenic experience that typically lasts between four and six hours, the changes to receptors can then help make other forms of therapy more effective.

"I think the most astounding effect is that it can last up to months after one-time or two-time use," McCorvy said.

It's a distinctly different effect that what happens when people take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, known as SSRIs, which are the most common type of antidepressant. Those drugs increase serotonin levels throughout the body.

The difference between treatment and, say, someone having a psychedelic experience in the woods is patients are consulted about what they may experience before they take the dose. They can also be monitored throughout the process. 

Still, McCorvy added more data are needed on who can safely take psychedelic treatments. He noted people who are prone to schizophrenia and those with heart problems are at greater risk of having adverse effects.

Researchers at the medical college are currently looking into whether different modifications of psilocin can make the compound safer and more effective for people in high-risk pools.

A veteran's perspective

Matthew McDonell said he was motivated to make veterans' mental health his cause after experiencing suicidal thoughts after his return from combat in Afghanistan.

McDonell said he believed he was initially overmedicated with prescription drugs after serving as an Army airborne infantryman from 2011 to 2015. His tour in Afghanistan covered 2012 and 2013.

McDonell began having suicidal thoughts after his prescription amount was later cut in half. Eventually, he got off those drugs and began "Next 18," a program that organizes four-day golf outings for veterans, which include traditional forms of therapy, such as journaling and yoga.

McDonell said his journey has also included experimental psychedelic treatments, including ketamine and psilocybin. 

"Psychedelics allowed me to look at [my trauma] differently," he said. "It opened up my world, it opened up my brain."

Speaking from a golf outing in Arizona Wednesday, McDonell said he believed more research was needed to determine who can benefit the most from psychedelic treatments. He also emphasized his believe psychedelics were a "catalyst" that should then open the door for other types of therapy.

McDonell said he was most encouraged by how his psychedelic experiences allowed him to channel thoughts that has been compartmentalized. McCorvy explained that altered reaction from serotonin receptors could, quite simply, change the way people think.

"All it takes a single thought from this direction for the first time for some people in years," McDonell said. "And it's, 'maybe I don't suck.'"

More research to do

McCorvy said more clinical trials were still necessary to learn more about how drugs like psilocybin affect a larger sample of the population. He added he was encouraged by the Wisconsin bill and supported the idea of starting with a narrow group of veterans.

"I'm excited there actually are efforts to move the substances forward to try to study them," McCorvy said. "Understand what they're capable of, what they're not capable of."

McCorvy said key areas of ongoing research include understanding how the substances have varying effects on peoples' minds, as well as experimenting with modified versions of psychedelics that could potentially treat people currently at high risk of having an adverse effect.

According to the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, 24 other state legislatures considered bills decriminalizing psilocybin or creating test programs as of this June. In 2020, Oregon became the first state to launch a therapeutic psilocybin program.