Letter to the Editor: Two Utah Doctors Support Legalizing Psilocybin
Written by: ERIN WEIST
Two Utah medical professionals have thrown their hat into the ring in supporting medical psychedelics. Dr. David Sundwall, former U.S. assistant surgeon general and executive director of the Utah Health Department, and Dr. Noel Gardner, a forensic psychiatrist and founder of Impact Mental Health, have penned an editorial in The Salt Lake Tribune, officially stating that they support the use of psilocybin for medical use. Between the two of them they have decades of experience in dealing with mental health disorders. As research has continued to produce data supporting the positive use of psychedelics in medically supervised conditions, more medical professionals are stepping in to add a voice of support in decriminalizing and legalizing these substances to help those most in need. For the last 8+ years experiments and research from the University of Washington to New York University and dozens of schools in between have shown positive trends in those with depression, anxiety, and PTSD who undergo treatment with psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in “magic mushrooms.”
Currently, psilocybin is classified by the Drug Enforcement Agency as a Schedule 1 drug, which means it has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Unfortunately, this classification was made at a time when studies were ongoing for this substance and without ability to continue that stigma permeated the culture for decades. With stigmas being removed and the ability to study it returned to legality the research is showing psilocybin is non-addictive and it has tremendous ability to recover mental health for a vast number of Americans. (“The percentage of U.S. adults who report having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lifetime has reached 29.0%, nearly 10 percentage points higher than in 2015.” May 17, 2023. https://news.gallup.com/poll/505745/depression-rates-reach-new-highs.aspx#:~:text=Story%20Highlights&text=WASHINGTON%2C%20D.C.%20%2D%2D%20The%20percentage,points%20higher%20than%20in%202015.)
“Given this evidence,” they state, “we believe it is time for Utah to seriously consider the benefits of the wise use of psilocybin. As a state with a high prevalence of mental illness, we have a moral imperative to pursue every possible avenue for improving the lives of those affected by these conditions.”
They mention the findings of the Utah Legislature’s Mental Illness Psychotherapy Drug Task Force, mobilized during the 2022 legislative session and returning its findings by the fall of that same year. An attempt was made to legalize psilocybin at the following 2023 legislative session but it failed to be put through for a vote, with the legislative body asking for more time to examine the issue.
In light of this, Dr’s Sundwall and Gardner have proposed the following steps:
Compile current research on safety, efficacy, and risks of psilocybin
Develop guidelines and protocols for responsible prescription/use of psilocybin, including individual and group settings
Educate the public and policymakers with open discussion and dialogue
Hopefully this will be one of many public declarations of support by medical and mental health professionals as we move into a healthier space for the citizen of Utah.
https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/letters/2023/07/05/letter-new-hope-mental-health-utah/
