An Arizona House committee has approved a bill to protect $5 million in funding for psilocybin research from being redistributed amid a state budget deficit.
As the state works to address a funding shortfall of hundreds of thousands of dollars, the House Military Affairs & Public Safety Committee passed a measure from the chairman, Rep. Kevin Payne (R), that would prevent the psychedelic research money from lapsing until at least July 2026. It advanced in a 11-3 vote.
Payne was the sponsor of legislation that was enacted last year under an appropriations package signed by the governor that mandated research into the medical potential of psilocybin mushrooms for a variety of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, long COVID symptoms and substance misuse disorder.
He led a standalone bill that would have allocated $30 million for the research, but the smaller amount was ultimately appropriated under the broader budget deal.
Now the lawmaker is pressing to ensure those dollars are not temporarily redirected as part of the government’s efforts to fill the budget gap.
Payne said during Monday’s committee hearing that it’s important to preserve consistent funding for the grants because of the time commitment that researchers
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