Senate sponsors and health-care providers told the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery on Monday that Senate Bill S.1400 would allow a small, tightly regulated pilot for psychedelic-assisted therapies for adults with treatment‑resistant mental health conditions.

Committee co-chair Senator John Vilas and Representative Mindy Daum opened the hybrid hearing. Senator Eric Friedman, testifying virtually, said the bill would create a research-style pilot “authorizing a maximum of 3 specialized mental health clinics” and require participating clinics to report patient outcomes to inform future regulation. “This is a very measured approach which focuses on research,” Friedman told the committee, distinguishing the proposal from last year’s broad ballot measure that voters rejected.

Supporters from Control Z, a Massachusetts-based provider network, described a clinical model grounded in licensed medical teams and multi-visit evaluation, with safety screening, supervised dosing and follow-up. Colin Beatty, Control Z’s chief executive, said the pilot would not legalize home cultivation or recreational use and would exclude facilities tied to cannabis businesses or pharmaceutical development. Dr. Edwin Raffi, a board-certified psychiatrist with addiction medicine training, told the committee pilot sites could serve as study sites that collect adverse-event data and patient outcomes under state rules.

Proponents emphasized alignment with federal research activity: witnesses noted Food and Drug Administration breakthrough therapy designations for some psychedelic compounds and cited ongoing clinical research at academic centers. They urged an incremental approach, saying the bill’s licensing and DPH oversight could reduce risks tied to unregulated “medical tourism” or unsupervised commercial offerings.

Opponents were not on the day’s panel; committee members asked for details about which molecules would be eligible and how DPH would regulate clinical eligibility, safety reporting and training standards. Witnesses said the bill as written focused on psilocybin and that the Department of Public Health would write implementing regulations and monitor safety reporting. They also said the pilot would be limited to adults and to licensed clinical settings, not recreational or home use.

The hearing record included requests from lawmakers for written clinical protocols, information about partnering academic centers and clarification about exclusion criteria (for example, people with a history of psychosis). Bill sponsors and proponents said they would provide more detail to the committee.

No formal committee vote on S.1400 was recorded during this hearing.