As the nation faces a mental health crisis, Utah has become one of the first states to legalize psychedelic-assisted therapy, offering new treatment options for depression, PTSD and addiction. 

Following clinical trials at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine that demonstrate the effectiveness of psychedelics for treating mental health, Utah lawmakers unanimously voted to pass S.B. 266 during the 2024 legislative session, a bill legalizing psychedelic dosing for medical treatment.

And this isn’t just a long, strange trip. The new law went into effect May 1 and allows for the prescription of psilocybin, the active hallucinogenic compound in “magic mushrooms,” as well as MDMA, colloquially known as molly. 

“There’s a great opportunity for Utah to be a national leader in the research of psychedelics,” Rep. Jen Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City, said. Dailey-Provost, an outspoken supporter, added that, “this could be a game changer.”

S.B. 266 was proposed by Sen. Kirk Cullimore, R-Cottonwood Heights, in response to Utah’s mental health crisis. The bill’s overwhelming support follows medical data showcasing the treatment’s efficacy. 

“I was compelled by a number of stories I’ve heard where psychedelic treatments had drastic effects on people suffering with mental health issues,” explained Cullimore. “They had become dependent on pharmaceuticals and sometimes even a single treatment with psychedelics immediately improved their lives.”

The law’s passage marks a significant step in addressing the state’s mental health challenges, with nearly 26% of Utah adults reporting depression, well above the national average, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Women in Utah face higher percentages of diagnosed depression at 34.3%, while the rate among men is 18.1%. 

Dailey-Provost, who spent a large portion of her career working to minimize poor mental health and opioid addiction across Utah, said psychedelic therapy represents the possibility to lower depression and addiction rates. 

“Maybe we’ll be the first state in the country to start to bend the curve on our mental health crisis,” she said.

How It Works

Support for psychedelic compounds as medicine follows conclusive clinical trial data showcasing the treatment’s efficacy in conjunction with guided therapy for treating depression and similar mental health conditions. Psilocybin treatment for major depressive disorder was effective in up to 75% of cases, according to a 2022 study from Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Researchers hypothesize this is because compounds of psilocybin can penetrate the central nervous system and promote stronger cellular reorganization. The process, neuroplasticity, refers to the brain’s ability to form stronger synaptic connections and adapt to change. 

“Psychedelics may promote a certain type of neuroplasticity that would support new learning and growth, potentially neurogenesis,” said Dr. Christopher Nicholas, a clinical physician and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in psychedelic medicine for treating addiction, depression and trauma. 

“We’re still learning about the therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelics,” he said. 

Researchers believe psychedelic medication can promote neuroplasticity by stimulating the sprouting of new dendritic spines on neurons. These neural cells receive and process electrochemical signals to relay information throughout the brain. 

The process improves neural interconnectivity between different regions in the brain, which can assist patients with depression in breaking unhealthy cycles, Nicholas added. 

“We’re also seeing encouraging outcomes with psilocybin assisted therapy for different addictions,” he said. 

Similarly to how psychedelics treat depression, the neuroplastic tendencies of psychedelics promote healthier regulation of serotonin and dopamine in the brain, according to a 2023 Imperial College London study.

Nicholas added that addiction often stems from unbalanced hormone regulation in the brain. Better regulation of dopamine and serotonin can assist those overcoming addiction to alcohol, narcotics, and other potentially harmful substances. 

Dr. Joshua Hottenstein specializes in integrated, alternative medicine and operates a family practice in Pennsylvania. He said psychedelics could create a “fundamental shift in helping people that otherwise wouldn’t have help.”

“Integrated medicine [treats] the whole person instead of just the organ system. It’s a different approach.” 

Hottenstein also said there’s been stagnation in the development of new psychiatric treatments for depression since the invention of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. 

Commonly referred to as SSRIs, these drugs are the most common form of depression treatment used today. Because up to 30% of depression patients undergoing traditional SSRI treatment are resistant to SSRI medication, alternative forms of treatment become necessary, Hottenstein said. 

“It’s important and very rewarding to find different ways to heal,” he added. 

Regulatory Barriers

Many doctors, however, still face significant barriers to conducting research and prescribing treatment. 

“It would help if there were changes to the regulatory oversight for psychedelics to facilitate access to the compounds under controlled research conditions,” Dr. Nicholas said.

These barriers exist within Utah as well, rendering S.B. 266’s implementation difficult, Dailey-Provost said. The bill’s language only legalizes psychedelic compounds as a treatment for mental health at research institutions like the University of Utah Hospital and Intermountain Health. Additionally, psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin and MDMA are illegal under federal law, which makes it difficult to get the compounds researchers need into the state. 

“We can’t set it up as straight-up research,” said Dailey-Provost. “Kind of like medical cannabis, we’re threading a weird needle.”

The state’s medical cannabis program began in 2018 and has grown significantly due to bipartisan support. Between 2020 and 2023, the number of medical cannabis cardholders in Utah increased sevenfold, from 11,000 to more than 77,000. 

Sen. Cullimore explained how he aims to work across the aisle to revise the bill’s language during Utah’s 2025 legislative session and expand treatment availability. 

“We gotta find a way to source this stuff, that’s what we’re hoping to solve next year,” Cullimore added. 

The bill was enacted in May after Gov. Spencer Cox allowed it to become law without his signature, citing its “overwhelming legislative support.”

“The fact that Gov. Cox cited “overwhelming legislative support” looks like it’s [headed in] a promising direction,” said Andrew Welhouse, writer at the Foundation for Government Accountability and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Utah. 

“It’s being framed as a mental-health issue, rather than a legal vs. illegal drug issue,” he said, which minimizes the stigma.

Psychedelic treatment is gaining momentum in the medical field, Welhouse said, meaning new frontiers in mental health treatment are opening up and offering additional options to those who need it most.

“We’re trying to help people that have legitimate needs,” Sen. Cullimore, the bill sponsor, added.

This article was published from the University of Utah’s COMM 1610 class.