PSA's Sunday Sound-Off: May 24th, 2026

By Jack Gorsline

I’ve been navigating the seedy underbelly of the psychedelic renaissance lately (as evidenced by some of my emotionally charged posting on here) — so it feels important to clarify that there’s not a day that goes by on the psychedelic beat that I don’t bear witness to some of the most remarkable human beings that anyone could ever meet.

There are so many incredible stories to be told: of healing, of innovation, of sustainable community building across class and party lines, of perseverance and persistence in creating a better future for us all.

That said, there are already plenty of fantastic scribblers out there documenting the sunnier side of this sociocultural revolution that in my opinion is truly unlike any other in the history of western civilization.

But there are far too few of us that are willing to and truly capable of going toe to toe with the predators, semi-supervillains, and culture vultures that are oh-so-prevalent in every corner of this movement without bowing down to the powers that be and reverting to some cheap form of access-oriented industry stenography.

So regardless of whether or not you love me, hate me, or otherwise - if you're reading this please know that while we might not agree on everything I say, report, or post - the reason isn't because I'm trying to tear anything down.

Its because in a crowded field of fluff, hype, and Manufactured Consent-style feature pieces, someone has to hold the line.

By Naomi Shifman - Board Member, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP)

In recent years, Pennsylvania has continued to see a decline in overdose deaths. As people like the residents of Kensington continue to recover from overdoses, more people are surviving. But they are left to battle addiction, chronic health problems, and the trauma of the crisis.  

Despite the need for care, access is challenging. In Pennsylvania there are about 4 treatment facilities per 100,000 population. “We are not doing well with addiction treatment in Pennsylvania; there is not a facility in Pennsylvania I would refer people to,” said Susan Ousterman, a local advocate for harm reduction and the founder of the Vilomah Foundation. 

The lack of alternative treatments for behavioral health and addiction makes the need for psychedelic reform in Pennsylvania even more urgent. Clinical trials have highlighted the use of psychedelics as a potential treatment option for substance use disorder. Individuals positively affected by their psychedelic experiences have advocated for progressive policy around psychedelics. Yet as other states and the federal government are enacting evidence based policies through psilocybin bills and allocating funding for psychedelic research, Pennsylvania falls behind in the wave of psychedelic policy. 

Despite advocates making significant headway in changing perceptions towards cannabis, stigma against psychedelics persists in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile our neighbors in New Jersey recently passed a bill to establish a psilocybin therapy pilot program; Maryland’s psychedelic research task force published recommendations for the state to provide access to psilocybin. Oklahoma is out pacing us by passing legislation that would fund ibogaine research. Even Ohio is discussing ibogaine therapy research. Currently in Pennsylvania, a bill that would expedite access to psilocybin in response to FDA approval was introduced earlier last year, but has been sitting in House committee since May 2025. 

The Pennsylvania legislature has failed to act on the growing push for psychedelics. Pennsylvania residents, particularly veterans, have been vocal in their support of psychedelic therapy legalization as a result of their beneficial experiences with psychedelics. In a state where only 3-4% of residents who were in need of substance use treatment actually received it, Pennsylvania's stagnant drug reform is exacerbated by misinformation and stigma.  

The lack of action is already costing lives. Tyler Cordeiro had found cannabis to be effective for curbing his opioid cravings, but he was denied state funding for addiction treatment as a result of his medical marijuana card. “No policy should make a parent choose between being a good parent and a good American or a good Christian,” said Tyler’s mother, Susan Ousterman of Bucks County, who lost Tyler to an overdose in 2020. “Our drug policies push suffering into the shadows and stigma blocks investment in effective care” Ousterman wrote recently in Filter magazine. 

Psychedelics are no longer just a part of counterculture, they have entered the mainstream. As highlighted by the recent Executive Order signed in April directing the FDA and DEA to prioritize psychedelic research and treatment. With support coming from the federal government, particularly this specific administration, it is strange that no commitments to progressive drug policies have caught hold in the birthplace of our Democracy. Pennsylvania is a purple state with varying viewpoints; cities such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia don’t typically represent the rest of the state. Here, psychedelics are not frequently discussed compared to elsewhere in the country. There are other issues to solve, and in a state where recreational cannabis is not legal, psychedelics are not a priority. Psychedelic reform cannot be reached in Pennsylvania until the average Pennsylvanian understands the value of psychedelics. Psychedelic advocates must build a coalition in Pennsylvania to effectively educate Pennsylvanians on psychedelics and campaign for change. 

Antiquated Policies and Sluggish Proposals

Archaic drug laws are nothing new in Pennsylvania. The state still has one of the most antiquated and restrictive liquor laws in the U.S. In addition to our state-operated liquor stores, it is illegal to cross state lines with alcohol bought in another state. Our cannabis laws are no better. Pennsylvania has had a medical marijuana program since 2016, but despite numerous proposals, the state has yet to legalize adult-use cannabis or homegrow for medical patients. The state Senate recently approved a bill that would establish a new Cannabis Control Board. 

If the state cannot even legalize cannabis, it is likely to lag behind in the psychedelic reform race as well. Public support for the legal use of psychedelics tends to be lower than for cannabis. If we are to advance psychedelic reform in Pennsylvania, public support is crucial. In most states where psychedelic policies are taking place, adult-use cannabis has already been legalized, indicating a shift in drug perceptions. Though, cannabis reform may not be completely necessary to pass psychedelic legislation. There is sufficient evidence that psychedelics could outpace cannabis as in the case of Texas, where funding was allocated for clinical trials for ibogaine, but recreational cannabis has not been legalized.

However, psychedelic bills that have been proposed often die in committee here. The only psychedelic therapy currently available in Pennsylvania are ketamine treatments, which are offered off-label or through its FDA-approved formulation. Previous legislations for psilocybin research were introduced in 2021 and 2022, but both died in committee. One part of a two-bill package on psilocybin access for veterans has been introduced by Rep. Tracy Pennycuick (R). A House bill (HB 1439) was introduced last year to amend Pennsylvania’s trigger laws to automatically reschedule psilocybin following FDA approval. Similar legislation has been proposed or passed in other states. HB 1439 pertains only to a specific formulation of psilocybin made by Compass Pathways, meaning only crystalline polymorph psilocybin (COMP360) would be legal, while other forms of psilocybin would still be illegal. 

All the prolonged progress of trigger bills that support pharmaceutical companies and poorly formed research bills have turned psychedelics into a game of political football. State Democrats and Republicans have been passing cannabis and psychedelic bills back and forth with no end in sight. With Pennsylvania’s divided government of a Republican controlled Senate and Democratic controlled House, things are even more difficult. The reliance on our legislature is a factor that further complicates Pennsylvania psychedelic reform, as citizen ballot initiatives are not permitted. Popular ballot measures have been a common way to introduce psychedelic reform so far. But legislature-driven psychedelic reform can be done. In April 2026, New Mexico, became the first state to have a psilocybin program initiated by the state’s legislature rather than a citizen ballot measure, such as done in Oregon and Colorado. This signals that states such as Pennsylvania have the legislative power to create their own psychedelic program.  

Legislators are concerned that they may lose support for endorsing psychedelic therapy as experienced by the Democratic party in primary elections. This scenario played out in this year’s state Senate election when Jeffery Lake, a supporter of psychedelic and cannabis reform, lost to incumbent Senator Marty Flynn. Misinformed views by legislators themselves hold back psychedelic reform as well. In 2022, a bill for the research of psilocybin and psilocybin-assisted therapy died in committee after the chairwoman of the House Health Committee raised concerns due to an alleged overdose death that involved “magic mushrooms” in her district. Though detailed reports of this incident cannot be found..

It is this line of thinking that prevents us from bringing about change. If people want to use drugs, they will use drugs. Prohibition does not keep people safe. Through reform, we can ensure there is age gating and access to regulated products and treatments without fear of criminalization. Dramatic changes in use after legalization, such as cannabis, may be exaggerated and are more likely a result of less stigma. As prohibitionist anti-drug messaging prevails, so too will policies based on ideology; psychedelics will find no home in those policies.  

The Consequences of Division and Stigma 

Whether or not state lawmakers are ready to listen to the research or even follow in the steps of POTUS, Pennsylvanians are hurting. While Pennsylvania is one of the few states that allow medical marijuana for opioid use, expanding treatment options to include psychedelics would be a game-changer for a state enduring prevalent substance use and mental health disorders. This year, Texas and Arizona awarded funding for clinical trials of ibogaine, a plant medicine that has shown potential for the treatment of addiction.

Rather than being able to access psilocybin therapy in his home state, Matt Carpenter, a Pennsylvania resident and veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, had to go to Cancun in 2025 to access ibogaine treatment for his PTSD. Matt credits ibogaine with saving his life. “I did not think psychedelics I would ever do and had zero confidence in effectiveness. What turned me into a believer was that it was not only an emotional transformation, it was not immediate, but the days afterwards were incredible. I was finally getting to the root of what was really holding me back. And having a physical change as well, understanding and knowing the medicine was healing, working on the [neural] pathways were the most motivational things I had to keep me going,” he said. Since his ibogaine experience, Matt has been working to build the Pennsylvania Ibogaine Initiative.“I want everyone to have the chance to heal like I have,” Matt said. 

Pennsylvania residents should be able to receive psychedelic services in their own state. Especially veterans like Matt who expressed anger at leaving home to serve the nation and after returning home having to leave again “to get on the path of healing.” This treatment access for veterans in Pennsylvania is crucial considering we have the 4th largest veteran population in the country.

Without access to legalized and regulated substances, people will continue to obtain them through gray markets. The Pennsylvania legislature's failure to legalize cannabis made it easy for the gray market hemp industry to boom. By not acting on psychedelics now, a similar unregulated market is likely to appear as it has in other places like California and New York. Unregulated, criminalized substances can create opportunities for a volatile drug supply like the proliferation of medetomidine—a veterinary sedative causing severe withdrawal—replacing xylazine following xylazine crackdowns.                                                                                                                               

“Until you are having this discussion around the dinner table we will continue to have an uphill battle,” said Matt Carpenter. To combat division and stigma, psychedelic reform advocates must focus their attention on educating Pennsylvania residents and lawmakers on psychedelics and psychedelic therapy. 

The Work of Advocates

Pennsylvania can build off of existing models for our own systems by looking to states with existing recreational cannabis and psilocybin therapy programs. Oregon, Colorado, and New Mexico have enacted sweeping psychedelic reform. Closer to home, New Jersey is developing a psilocybin therapy pilot program. We have the tools to create evidence-based drug policy for psychedelics. But as long psychedelics are seen as physically and politically risky progress will fail.

Stigma, a lack of education, and insufficient pressure on legislators to make psychedelic reform a priority is getting in the way. War on Drugs ideology e.g., psilocybin overdose deaths, will continue as long as people lack accurate information and are fed DARE-like education about psychedelics. If voters are uniformed and have no interest in pushing for reform, their representatives will surely not be motivated to approve psychedelic policies. 

“We have policies based on ideology, and it’s not based on facts or truth,” said Susan Ousterman “[legislatures] are failing if they are not pushing these substances because people are going to use them anyway as evidence comes out from other states, and if we have the framework and do it legally, it will be much safer.” 

Before we can lobby for psychedelic reform, Pennsylvania psychedelic advocates must focus on coalition building. By prioritizing planning campaigns that emphasize educating voters and legislators, advocates could see Pennsylvania follow other states and enact sensible psychedelic policy. By not taking charge of psychedelic policies in Pennsylvania we will lose the psychedelic reform race to corporations and surrounding states. Legislation regarding psychedelics must ensure that safe access for all, affordability, and decriminalization are prioritized over the proprietary of one company.

Until next time,

The Psychedelic State(s) of America Team