Committee hears competing views on proposed psilocybin access program; debate centers on regulation, equity and decriminalization

The Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee held an extended hearing on a proposed substitute for Senate Bill 5,201, titled the Clinical and Supervised Access of Psilocybin Act in committee materials. The substitute would create a regulated program for adult (21+) access to psilocybin under supervised, facilitated sessions, establish a Washington Psilocybin Board to advise the Department of Health (DOH), and assign licensing and cultivation/testing responsibilities to the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) with support from the Department of Agriculture for cultivation oversight.

Julie Tran, committee staff, summarized the bill. Key provisions in the proposed substitute include: DOH rulemaking for group and individual administration sessions, facilitator training and guidelines, temporary location permits and service center operation standards; a licensing start date no earlier than Nov. 1, 2027 for facilitators and service centers; LCB licensing for cultivation and testing with packaging, labeling and transportation rules; and exemptions allowing limited home‑use or in‑home administration under specified circumstances. The bill names the program the Clinical and Supervised Access of Psilocybin Act.

Sponsor remarks and framing Senator Jesse Solomon, prime sponsor, framed the bill as a regulated, clinical access model rather than decriminalization. He emphasized the urgency of expanding treatment options for veterans and others with…