Pilot program explores psychedelics for PTSD treatment

The Connecticut state budget bill recently signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont includes an innovative carve out to explore the use of psychedelic drugs like MDMA and the mushroom-derived compound psilocybin.

The pilot program is the first in the country and will provide around $1.5 million to fund the establishment of facilities for administering the therapy and developing best practices while conducting further research. The program is designed to leverage recent research into how psychedelic drugs combined with targeted therapy and guided usage can be used to treat a number of mental health issues.

The primary focus of the pilot program is to provide veterans, retired first responders and health care workers who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The lead sponsor for the bill, who served as the basis of the budget provision and the chief advocate for its inclusion, was Rep. Michelle Cook (D-Torrington), who said she was motivated out of concern for veterans and their families, a topic which hits close to home —both of Cook’s grandfathers, her father, an uncle, her son-in-law and her nephew all either joined or are currently serving with the military.

“One thing that compelled me,” she said, “was the amount of lives that we lose to suicide when folks cannot find the help and assistance that they need to make it through their everyday life’s journey.”

It seemed wrong to Cook that the people that protected and served society were unable to enjoy the benefits of being a functioning member of the same society.

“We had a Navy SEAL and his wife who submitted testimony,” Cook said, “and so many other veterans and active military folks, as well as police officers and firefighters that have seen such trauma that many of the other treatments and therapies don’t work. We shouldn’t lose our veterans to suicide because we can’t figure out a way to help them.”

Cook said she was also proud to have the state both provide needed help to the protectors of the community while also blazing a path for other states to follow. She added that the decision to throw her support behind the program was comparatively easy “when you have a couple of generals that are working with you, one also a doctor and the other has worked with the White House for years. When they bring you valuable information and experience, I think it’s worth listening to.”

One of those generals, Martin R. Steele, a retired three-star lieutenant general in the U.S. Marine Corps, co-founded Reason for Hope in 2018, an organization focused on advancing the cause of using psilocybin, MDMA and other psychedelics as a course of treatment, but also to combat the stigma against their use.

“For far too long, the men and women of the armed services have had to carry the mental and emotional burdens of combat without access to effective treatments,” said Steele, who serves as the organization’s CEO, in a press statement issued with the announcement of the pilot program. “Psychedelic therapy represents a breakthrough for Veterans and civilians alike to heal and lead productive lives. We have a duty, responsibility and urgency to help all those suffering from trauma. I commend the governor’s office and leaders in the legislature for the life-saving action they have taken through this landmark legislation.”

Brett Waters, the other co-founder of Reason for Hope, pointed to recent Johns Hopkins University research as an indicator that the time for a more thorough exploration of the treatment method has come. The research showed a treatment with psilocybin was effective in relieving major depressive disorder symptoms in patients for up to a month, and under the right conditions could last for more than a year.

“The complexities of psychedelic-assisted therapy require that we construct a regulatory framework and collect real-world evidence treating more complex patients to inform stakeholders of the nuances to delivering effective care, and these policies accomplish that” said Waters in the press statement.