Last week, a Republican congressman appeared on a Fox News podcast, expressing cautious optimism that the Senate would give the green light to amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by the House.
Encourages Cannabis Research
Grants for research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for active duty military personnel with PTSD. “I’m hopeful. I don’t know if there’s serious resistance. I think there’s a lack of education about this,” said Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a veteran himself. -Texas) said on the Kennedy Save the World podcast.
Senate Support
In interviews, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Matt Gaetz also discussed the chance encounter that first inspired them to look into psychedelics, evidence that substances can alleviate PTSD symptoms, and his own transformation. (R-FL).
Crenshaw said he hoped that “at least” one of the amendments would pass the NDAA and “be able to enact that law.”
Crenshaw explored the issue and detailed a series of random conversations that forced him to take action. One night about a year ago, a congressman had dinner with a longtime friend of his and told me about his positive experience with ibogaine.
Answers ‘Really Needed’
Later that same night, he met Jonathan Lubeckey, liaison for veterans and government affairs for the Multidisciplinary Society for Psychedelic Research (MAPS), in the elevator of his apartment. Rubecki told him about his own past suicide attempts and how psychedelics improved his mental health.
“Why are you hearing from two different people who don’t know each other? on the same night? I just thought it was weird,” recalls Crenshaw, who says he’s never tried psychedelics himself. In a podcast interview, Crenshaw referenced a Veterans Affairs study that showed MDMA had transformative effects on veterans with his PTSD.
“It’s really incredible, so the data really shows up here,” he said. He also noted that an increasing number of veterans in Mexico have been treated with ibogaine, with very good results.
“These are therapeutic, not pleasant experiences,” he argued, dismissing suggestions that his efforts were about recreational drug use. “[The veterans’] changes were so palpable and dramatic that you couldn’t ignore something like that,” he added.
Crenshaw introduced a similar amendment to last year’s edition of the NDAA, but the House Rules Committee did not allow it to proceed to a vote on the floor.
His two-time congressman, he has been instrumental in promoting marijuana and drug policy in Congress, including his two previous Ocasio-Cortez amendments aimed at removing barriers to studying the benefits of psychedelics.
In the Media
I have consistently voted against reform measures. His home state of Texas recently passed a law requiring authorities to study the therapeutic potential of psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine for veterans. Crenshaw is following in the footsteps of another prominent Texas Republican who recently advocated making psychedelics accessible to veterans. Former Governor and Energy Secretary Rick Perry have become a vocal supporter of the issue.
