On Tuesday, members of the US House of representatives voted 140-285 against an amendment to a minibus appropriations bill that would have removed barriers to the study of psychedelic drugs.

The amendment, introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), targeted a 1996 rider to the bill that prohibits the use of federal funds for activity promoting legalization of Schedule I drugs. Removing this rider would allow researchers more freedom to study Schedule I drugs to better understand their effects and, in the case of psychedelic drugs, their therapeutic potential.

The emerging science of psychedelic treatment

Research on the therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs so far has focused on classical psychedelics such as psilocybin, which act on serotonin neuroreceptors, and MDMA, which along with acting on serotonin receptors promotes dopamine and norepinephrine signalling. Other research involves the dissociative drug ketamine, which is not technically classed a psychedelic drug but can produce similar subjective effects such as dissociation and derealization.

A 2020 review of this research published in The American Journal of Psychiatry concluded that while it is too soon to recommend any of these drugs for routine use, there is sufficient evidence to support the efficacy of MDMA in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and for psilocybin in treating individuals with depression or cancer-related anxiety. The reviewers also mention preliminary research suggesting a role for LSD and ayahuasca in psychiatric treatment.

Earlier this month, Forbes contributor Joshua Cohen noted this growing scientific support for psychedelic treatments, citing the results of the first Phase 3 trial of psychedelic-assisted therapy, published this May in Nature Medicine. The trial concluded that MDMA is effective at alleviating symptoms of PTSD when combined with more traditional psychological counseling.

Cohen also pointed to the 2019 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of esketamine for treatment-resistant depression and subsequent 2020 approval of the drug for depression patients with acute suicidal ideation, indicating more regulatory openness to psychedelic-assisted treatment. The FDA has also designated MDMA and psilocybin as “breakthrough therapies” for PTSD and treatment-resistant depression, respectively.

Mounting scientific support for psychedelic research, more measured gains in political support

Increased acceptance of psychedelic therapies within the medical and scientific communities may one day translate to increased legislative support for drug research. Today on Twitter, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez expressed optimism about the future of the amendment, noting that the last time she introduced the legislation in 2019, it received only 91 votes.

This week I presented my amendment to remove barriers to research on therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances.

The 1st time I offered it, members laughed at me on the House floor. I got 91 votes.

This time, more understood. Support surged to 140 votes. We won’t give up! https://t.co/Ms2lg2CFxj

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 30, 2021