(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has passed a bill to legalize the use of psilocybin — sometimes called magic mushrooms — as medical treatment for certain conditions, like post-traumatic stress disorder. Treatments would have to be monitored in a clinical setting by a provider who holds a state license to administer the drug. Like the state’s medical marijuana program, the state would license facilities to grow psychedelic mushrooms and package psilocybin.

Republican Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake says studies have shown it’s an effective treatment for P-T-S-D, but it will take the Veterans Administration years to set up a program. “We can, as a state, move much more nimbly, much more quickly and get something established and have immediate relief for our veterans,” Wills says, “immediate relief for those who have suffered trauma.” Fifteen years ago, Wills served a year-long deployment to Afghanistan. He says some of the veterans he served with still struggle with P-T-S-D — and have to spend thousands of dollars traveling out of state to get a psilocybin treatment.

“Let’s give these veterans, who are screaming for something, they want something,” Wills said, “they don’t have any other option except to be on mind-altering, mood-altering drugs for the rest of their life. Let’s give them the opportunity.” The bill passed on an 84-to-six vote. Representative Jeff Shipley, a Republican from Fairfield, started sponsoring bills to legalize magic mushrooms seven years ago during his first term in the Iowa House.

“It looks like mushroom season has officially arrived in Iowa,” Shipley says. “Our love and prayers are with everyone pursuing the elusive morel mushrooms, but perhaps more urgently our love and prayers are with those suffering from intractable psychiatric conditions. In addition to being a culinary delicacy, mushrooms have long been renowned for their medicinal benefits and it’s estimated as many as 200 species contain psilocybin.”

The bill sets up a seven-member state board that would come up with the list of medical conditions for which psilocybin could be used as treatment, things like addiction, depression and anxiety. Shipley says psilocybin has shown tremendous promise as a breakthrough therapy that requires just one treatment. “The State of Iowa has a lot of responsibility in ensuring Iowans not only have access to mental health treatments, but they have access to treatments that are actually effective,” Shipley says.

Representative Larry McBurney of Urbandale, a veteran of the Iowa National Guard, was diagnosed with P-T-S-D after three deployments. “I didn’t know where to turn. I didn’t know what options were available to me,” McBurney said. “It took me long enough to find what those options were and what worked for me. I want to ensure that other veterans across the state have this option.”

The bill now goes to the Senate, where it must first clear a committee before it can be debated by the full Senate.