PA Advocacy

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In Pennsylvania, lawmakers have started to explore the potential benefits of psychedelic care, particularly with psilocybin—the naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms”— for people struggling with mental health conditions like PTSD, treatment resistant depression, debilitating anxiety, and addiction. While psilocybin remains illegal in the Commonwealth, recent bills have aimed to open the door for more research and future access.

The first major effort came in 2021 with House Bill 1959, known as the “Public Health Benefits of Psilocybin Act.” Led by Senator Tracy Pennycuick (a Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives at the time of its filing), a group of lawmakers advocated for this bipartisan bill, which proposed allowing clinical research on psilocybin-assisted therapy, with a focus on helping veterans and first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. It included a plan for limited, state-approved psilocybin cultivation to support medical studies. Unfortunately, the bill didn’t move forward after being sent to the House Health Committee.

A revised version of the bill was introduced in 2022 during the same legislative session, again championed by Senator Pennycuick. House Bill 2421 continued the push for research but left out the ability for psilocybin containing mushrooms to be cultivated in the Commonwealth. Instead, it focused on having the Pennsylvania Department of Health team up with a medical research institution to study how psilocybin could help people with a range of mental health issues. Like the previous bill, it died in the House Health Committee.

This year House Bill 1439 was introduced and assigned to the House Health Committee for consideration. The legislative effort, led by Representative Jennifer O’Mara prepares Pennsylvania to act quickly if and when the FDA approves a psilocybin-based medication by allowing for automatic rescheduling of the approved psilocin-containing drugs. If passed, it would automatically update state law to match federal rescheduling of psilocybin, allowing FDA-approved treatments to become available in the state without delay. Since this bill was introduced during the current two-year legislative session (2025-2026) it could be considered for a hearing or a vote by the House Health Committee at any time. 

So far, Pennsylvania hasn’t passed any laws to study, change the legal status of, or decriminalize psilocybin, or any other psychedelic medicine or its related care. Nonetheless, as the conversation shifts nationally, these recent bills show a growing, bipartisan interest in the medical and therapeutic potential of psychedelics. 

Members, supporters, and community partners of PMHIA—including healthcare professionals, veterans and first responders, and researchers—are working to educate elected officials and change policy related to these important, life-changing medicines, offering hope to many Pennsylvanians in need.

Together, we are working towards the following:

1. Educate Policymakers about Emerging Therapies for Mental Health Care

We are developing ongoing opportunities to educate policymakers about the science, regulation, and therapeutic potential of psychedelic-assisted care, ensuring informed decision-making as the field evolves.

2. Expanding access to evidence-based mental health interventions through public benefit systems

We support the inclusion of promising, clinician-guided treatment with ketamine and esketamine for mental health and trauma-related conditions within state-administered healthcare and workers' compensation programs, to improve outcomes and reduce long-term disability.

3. Establish a State-Supported Framework to Evaluate Novel Mental Health Therapies

We support the creation of a pilot initiative to responsibly study and monitor the use of emerging therapeutic options that show potential for treating PTSD, depression, and suicidality—including therapy-assisted psilocybin and ibogaine—under controlled, research-informed conditions. 

4. Align State Policy with Federal Standards for Medical Innovation

Advance legislation that enables timely reclassification of substances with recognized medical value, ensuring state law keeps pace with FDA approvals and supports access to safe, regulated therapies.

You can join these efforts by becoming a member or supporter! Please click here to learn more about how to stay up to date on psychedelic legislative happenings in Pennsylvania and to become part of this movement.

To see what’s happening across the national landscape, visit Psychedelic Alpha’s Legislative Tracker.