Alaska legislature establishes psychedelic task force for FDA-approved therapies

Rep. Jennie Armstrong, D-Anchorage, speaks pinch colleagues connected nan House level connected Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Armstrong introduced nan location type of nan measure establishing a authorities psychedelic task force. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)

The Alaska legislature passed a bill May 10 to commencement a psychedelic medicine task unit to thief nan authorities hole for apt national legalization of psychedelic therapies. 

Representative Jennie Armstrong, D-Anchorage, who introduced nan location type of nan bill, said nan task unit doesn’t return a stance connected whether psychedelic therapies are bully aliases bad. But she said studies, particularly those looking astatine treating post-traumatic accent upset pinch MDMA, show a batch of promise.

“When you look astatine nan rates of trauma, and harm and intelligence wellness issues and addiction issues, and termination rates successful our state…you tin conscionable ideate really profound that is going to beryllium connected nan authorities of Alaska, if we tin guarantee that those who suffice and request this medicine tin get entree to it,” Armstrong said. 

MDMA, besides known arsenic molly aliases ecstasy, is being studied arsenic a curen for post-traumatic accent upset aliases PTSD, eating disorders, and anxiety. The national Food and Drug Administration is poised to o.k. it arsenic a treatment for mean to terrible PTSD this fall. 

PTSD is knowledgeable by immoderate group aft trauma and tin see vivid flashbacks, nightmares, and aggravated distress and anxiety. Veterans, first responders for illustration firefighters and emergency aesculapian technicians, and Alaska Native group are much apt to acquisition PTSD than nan wide population. 

In a recent study, group pinch terrible PTSD were treated pinch 3 MDMA sessions and extended follow-up therapy. After treatment, 2 thirds of group nary longer had capable symptoms for a test of PTSD. Armstrong said that tin beryllium life-changing. 

“In specified a short play of clip to spell from having this utmost PTSD to fundamentally being successful remission, it changes their lives and their expertise to beryllium a productive personnel of society, to beryllium patient and beryllium healthfully integrated into their families,” Armstrong said.

Psychedelics person a long history of being utilized therapeutically and ceremonially successful indigenous cultures. But occidental study of therapies has been slow because astir psychedelics are forbidden federally. But Armstrong said she wants Alaskans to cognize that nan activity being done to o.k. MDMA therapy for PTSD has not been hasty.

“The exertion that was put successful astatine nan extremity of past twelvemonth to nan FDA followed 20 years of objective proceedings information for nan MDMA medicine alone,” Armstrong said. “So, this is thing that has been very thoughtfully carried retired for a very agelong time. It is very, very good researched.”

Psychedelics person been decriminalized aliases legalized therapeutically successful respective states. But Armstrong said nan task unit is not aimed astatine legalizing psychedelics recreationally. 

“I don’t spot america having immoderate of nan kinks that you’ve seen successful different places wherever they person legalized up of nan FDA aliases decriminalized,” Armstrong said. “This is going to beryllium a highly controlled constituent successful our authorities with, I would situation to say, very small to nary antagonistic nationalist wellness aliases nationalist information impacts.”

Armstrong said a main attraction of nan task unit is making judge immoderate legalized therapy would beryllium covered by insurance, including Medicaid. 

“My extremity is to spot equitable entree crossed nan state,” Armstrong said. “A batch of nan time, nan group who request this medicine, it tin beryllium retired of scope because of costs and access. And truthful nan taskforce will beryllium looking astatine immoderate of nan barriers to implementing this caller medicine.”

The year-long task unit will see group representing nan healthcare needs of Alaska Native people, veterans, and survivors of home unit and intersexual assault. They will beryllium making recommendations for licensing, insurance, and regulatory pathways for immoderate legalized psychedelic therapies. The measure is awaiting a signature from Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

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