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Psychedelic Policy Briefing: Week of June 22nd, 2026
Produced in partnership with our friends at Psychedelics Today
By Jack Gorsline
In this week’s policy briefing, investigative reporter Jack Gorsline covers three regional psychedelic policy developments. A North Carolina coalition is lobbying for a $5.4 million initiative to study MDMA and psilocybin for trauma survivors. Illinois is allocating $300,000 to fund a veteran suicide prevention program, running parallel to an ongoing multi-year effort to legalize psilocybin at the state level. In New England, New Hampshire lawmakers advanced a clinical ibogaine research bill even as broader psilocybin legalization measures stalled in the state Senate.
North Carolina Coalition Brings in National Partners for Lobbying Day in Support of Psychedelic Research Bill
A coalition of military veterans, researchers and mental health advocates lobbied the North Carolina General Assembly last week, pushing for a state-funded initiative to study psychedelic-assisted therapies. Senate Bill 1018, known as the North Carolina HEAL Act, proposes a $5.4 million appropriation to establish the Breakthrough Therapies Research Grant Fund within the state Department of Health and Human Services.
The legislation would create a specialized task force to award up to five $1 million competitive grants to state-based academic or federal research institutions. These grants would fund clinical trials exploring the efficacy of FDA-designated "breakthrough therapies" (MDMA and psilocybin) and investigational compounds like ibogaine specifically for veterans, first responders, frontline healthcare workers, and survivors of domestic violence suffering from severe, trauma-related conditions.
Logan Davidson, legislative director for Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), pointed to North Carolina’s active duty military population in a statement to Filter Magazine.
"North Carolina is home to some of the largest military installations in the country and a veteran community that deserves better than the status quo,” Davidson told Filter. "SB 1018 represents a real opportunity to expand access to promising, innovative therapies for the men and women who’ve sacrificed the most."
Supporters argue a state-regulated research framework will let lawmakers evaluate legal and public health pathways before integrating treatments into mainstream psychiatric care. Advocates emphasized that the initiative is built on emerging data from peer-reviewed medical journals demonstrating the clinical significance of these compounds in treating treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction.
Organizers hope framing the HEAL Act as a compassionate, evidence-based response to trauma rather than a partisan battleground will secure the necessary legislative backing during the current session. Gina Giorgio, founder of Carolinas for Care, noted to Filter that behind the state's mental health statistics are families searching for hope when existing psychiatric treatments have failed.
New Hampshire moves closer to authorizing ibogaine research after psilocybin reform efforts stall (again)
New Hampshire is nearing final approval of a bill that would allow ibogaine to be prescribed exclusively for clinical research. House Bill 1772, which recently cleared a major legislative hurdle when both chambers adopted a conference committee report, permits licensed healthcare providers to administer the substance strictly within Food and Drug Administration-approved protocols. The legislation also enacts participation in the multi-state Physician Associate Licensure Compact.
While ibogaine initiatives advance, efforts to establish access to other psychedelic compounds have faced pushback in the state Senate. Earlier this year, a bipartisan measure aimed at legalizing and regulating natural psilocybin for therapeutic use stalled after passing a full House vote. House Bill 1809 would have allowed qualifying patients with conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or substance use disorder to access the psychedelic under the oversight of the state Department of Health and Human Services. The proposal required a structured treatment protocol guided by licensed medical professionals and sought to establish an advisory board to oversee potential program expansion.
Similarly, last year the NH state Senate shelved a psilocybin-specific compromise bill without discussion. This bill proposed to lessen the penalty for first-time psilocybin possession to a misdemeanor, while concurrently introducing mandatory minimum sentences for certain fentanyl-related offenses. Notably, before undergoing changes in committee last March, the initial iteration of SB 14 aimed for the complete legalization of psilocybin for noncommercial use.
Illinois Lawmakers Explore Multiple Avenues for Psychedelic Policy Reform
Illinois lawmakers are considering the Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens Act for the fourth consecutive year. The bill, introduced by Rep. LaShawn Ford, seeks to legalize, regulate and tax the use of psilocybin in the state. House Bill 1143, which was crafted with input and support from grassroots groups such as the Illinois Psychedelic Society, would amend the Illinois Controlled Substances Act by completely removing psilocybin and psilocin (commonly known as magic mushrooms) from the state's list of Schedule I controlled substances.
The proposed legislation would establish the Illinois Psilocybin Advisory Board and direct multiple state agencies to create licensing frameworks for psilocybin service centers, product manufacturing, testing and guided facilitation sessions. Additionally, the bill would impose a new tax on psilocybin products to finance specialized state treasury funds while explicitly amending the vehicle code to prohibit driving under the influence of the substances. The measure also outlines strict administrative oversight, including inspections and civil penalties for noncompliance, and currently awaits further review in the House Rules Committee.
In a parallel effort to address mental health, the state is developing the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Program. The initiative, funded through an amendment to the state’s annual budget signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on June 16, is designed to address disproportionately high suicide rates among military veterans. It is supported by a $300,000 appropriation from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Administered by the department, the program will evaluate, support and eventually expand access to innovative mental health treatments for veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, severe depression, treatment-resistant mental illness and suicidal ideation. Through clinical research, provider training, data collection and program oversight, public health officials aim to establish a framework for assessing whether these emerging therapies can improve mental health outcomes and reduce suicide risks across the state.
Following a public-private psychedelic research model similar to legislation enacted in Oklahoma, Mississippi and Tennessee, a significant portion of the program's proposed funding is directed to Sunstone Therapies, which will receive a $300,000 direct grant to administer the initiative. Sunstone Therapies will manage the program in collaboration with an Illinois-based mental health provider that has yet to be announced. Under the proposed arrangement, which is notably similar to Sunstone Therapies’ recently-inked psychedelic research partnership with the State of Maryland, the biotech group will assist in conducting clinical research on breakthrough treatments, developing protocols, training healthcare professionals and collecting outcomes data to measure effectiveness. An advisory council will also be established to guide the initiative, providing recommendations on patient safety, provider standards, care access, funding priorities and public awareness.
Note: This article was originally published by Psychedelics Today, and was produced in partnership with Psychedelic State(s) of America, a nonprofit-sponsored news organization dedicated to rigorous independent psychedelic journalism. Learn more about PSA’s Media Partnerships Program and donate to PSA’s Psychedelic Writers Guild Media Fund.
