2026 is an important year for psychedelic state policy reform, reflecting the emerging evidence, creative leadership, and increasing confidence of a more mature movement. As the public deepens its understanding of psychedelics, media about psychedelics becomes more nuanced, and psychedelic campaigns come and go, this year’s policy proposals — grassroots and industry-led alike — are adapting to a new social, cultural, and political landscape.
New Mexico’s bold moves to increase legal, affordable access to psychedelic therapy and Colorado’s ongoing determination to find a balance between professional ethics, cultural responsibility, and individual liberty — not to mention the data emerging from Oregon’s state-regulated program, and the reams of reports published by legislative task forces across the US — have inspired serious contenders in over a dozen states.
Some efforts, like the creation of study commissions, the establishment of pilot programs, or the decriminalization of certain psychedelics, are more familiar. Others reflect adapted approaches that are increasingly informed by state regulators, public health experts, and clinical professionals. Collectively, they signal an increasing interest in a wider range of regulatory approaches and a more systematic focus on generating and applying real-world evidence.
Below is a snapshot of several proposals that illustrate these emerging policy trends.
New York
Name of Bill: A3845A – An Act to Establish the Psilocybin Assisted Therapy Pilot Program
Bill Summary: The Psilocybin Assisted Therapy Pilot Program Act would establish a state-funded initiative in New York to provide psilocybin-assisted therapy to 10,000 veterans, first responders, and individuals with cluster headaches. Managed by the Department of Health in partnership with SUNY academic health centers, the bill would appropriate $5 million to facilitate clinical treatment and rigorous data collection. The A3845A also creates a dedicated pilot program fund and ensures participating patients and facilitators receive legal and professional licensure protections.
Current Status: A3845A is currently in the first stage of the legislative process, having been amended and recommitted to the Assembly Health Committee in January 2026. Its companion bill, S1801A, is similarly pending review within the Senate Health Committee.
Analysis: By authorizing a state-run program to study psilocybin-assisted therapy for individuals with serious mental health conditions, A3845A reflects growing recognition among policymakers that psychedelic-assisted therapies may offer promising new options for people who have not responded to existing treatments. Initiatives like this can help generate real-world data while developing the clinical standards, provider training, and oversight structures necessary for responsible implementation.
At the same time, A3845A is designed as a limited pilot program, meaning participation would be restricted to a relatively small number of eligible patients and providers. While this approach may help New York build institutional expertise and evaluate best practices, it will not immediately address the more widespread, unaddressed needs among those experiencing treatment-resistant mental health conditions, nor will it decriminalize possession and personal use. MAPS is optimistic about New York and NYMHA’s efforts to carefully expand access to psychedelics for medical, therapeutic, and personal use.
Utah
Name of Bill: HB 390 – Veterans PTSD Clinical Research Amendments
Bill Summary: Utah is home to one of the nation’s largest veteran populations and has a veteran suicide rate more than double the national average. This bill authorizes a Utah-based, mental health institute to conduct a donation-funded, clinical study on the safety and feasibility of psychedelic-assisted therapy for veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD. This is the first bill in the country to receive unified endorsement from all three leading veteran psychedelic advocacy organizations (Heroic Hearts Project, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, and the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition).
Current Status: HB 390 passed both the House and Senate (with final passage on March 4, 2026) and has since been enacted into law.
Analysis: By enabling a state-supported research initiative focused on a population with significant unmet mental health needs, HB 390 represents a thoughtful step toward generating the safety and outcomes data needed to inform future policy decisions. The Bill continues the trend of growing bipartisan recognition that innovative approaches are needed to address the mental health challenges facing veterans.
In taking a narrowly-scoped approach focused on clinical research, this legislation will reach a small number of participants. Eligibility will be limited to veterans enrolled in the clinical study, and the program will operate under strict clinical oversight and reporting requirements designed to ensure patient safety and scientific rigor. While this structure may generate valuable data, it leaves many people experiencing treatment-resistant mental health conditions without access to potentially beneficial therapies. MAPS is hopeful Utah will follow the data and continue to expand access beyond this important first step.
Massachusetts
Name of Bills: H.4200, An Act Authorizing a Pilot for the Use of Psychedelics in Licensed Treatment Facilities
H.2203, An Act Establishing a Pilot Program for Access to Regulated Psilocybin
Bill Summary: H.4200 would authorize a research-focused pilot program establishing psychedelic-assisted therapy at three sites, and is chiefly sponsored by Representative James (Jim) O’Day, a member of the MA House Speaker’s leadership team and a longtime professional social worker.
H.2203 would provide for a research-focused pilot program for the use of FDA-approved psilocybin treatments.
Current Status: On March 18th, Massachusetts’ Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery voted to advance both H.4200 and H.2203. Both bills are now headed to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing for further consideration. The measures move forward following extensive public testimony organized by Mass Healing, which has played a central role in building statewide support.
Analysis: H.4200 and H.2203 represent meaningful steps toward expanding access to psychedelic-assisted therapy through structured, research-focused pilot programs. Such an approach can help build the evidence base, refine best practices, and inform future regulatory frameworks grounded in safety and efficacy.
The impact of H.4200 and H.2203 will be inherently constrained by their pilot design, with participation limited to select sites and a narrow patient population. This framework may help Massachusetts build clinical infrastructure and generate valuable data, but it leaves many individuals without access to care in the near term and does not yet grapple with broader questions around personal use or decriminalization. Expanding beyond these initial pilots will be a necessary next step if the state aims to more comprehensively address the mental health needs of its populace.
In the wake of the 2024 ballot campaign, Mass Healing has emerged as a leading force in Massachusetts’ psychedelic policy landscape, driving coalition-building efforts, coordinating advocacy, and sustaining legislative engagement across the state. As multiple bills advance and interest from lawmakers grows, Massachusetts is increasingly positioned as a potential national leader in patient-centered psychedelic care. Mass Healing’s leadership underscores the critical role of local, grassroots advocacy. Continued financial, testimonial, and strategic support for groups such as this one will be essential to sustain momentum and ensure reforms remain responsive to community needs.
Washington
Name of Bill: Washington Natural Psychedelics Safe Access Act (WNPSAA)
Bill Summary: This bill, by REACH WA, would allow personal possession, cultivation, and non-commercial sharing of psilocybin/psilocin, DMT, and mescaline (excluding peyote) for people 21 and older. It would also establish clear, safety-first pathways for psychedelic-assisted services, including client-centered safeguards for administration services; it would emphasize responsible stewardship by imposing advertising restrictions and limiting participating companies to non-profits, co-ops, and small WA-based entities; and it would clear criminal records while promoting harm reduction and public health.
Current Status: The Responsible Entheogen Access & Community Healing Coalition (REACH WA), which drafted the WNPSAA, is in the process of securing legislative sponsors for the bill.
Analysis: The WNPSAA takes a unique approach to decriminalization through several features. For instance, it allows licensed professionals to integrate psychedelic-assisted therapy into their practices without risking their licensure, while potentially enabling “supportive services” like screening and integration to be covered by insurance.
To prevent unregulated commercialization, under the WNPSAA, the sale of psychedelics remains illegal unless conducted through authorized persons like doctors, therapists, or researchers. By passing a traditional regulatory body or rulemaking process, the bill is designed for immediate implementation, while leaving the door open for future oversight by existing licensing boards.
New Jersey
Name of Bill: Senate Bill S2283 / Assembly Bill A3852 – Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access and Therapy Pilot Program
Bill Summary: This legislation established a hospital-based research program in New Jersey to evaluate the efficacy of psilocybin-assisted therapy for treating behavioral health conditions like depression and anxiety. It appropriates $6 million in state funding, split among three hospitals (one in each of the state’s northern, central, and southern regions), to conduct clinical trials in alignment with federal FDA guidelines. The bill also creates an 11-member Psychedelic Therapy and Research Advisory Board to oversee the two-year pilot and provide recommendations to the legislature regarding a potential future statewide medical framework
Current Status: The bill was signed into law by outgoing Governor Phil Murphy on January 20, 2026. It is now an enacted statute, and the New Jersey Department of Health is mandated to begin the request-for-proposal process for participating hospitals within 180 days of its effective date.
Analysis: New Jersey’s appropriation of $6 million for this two-year research initiative and advisory board is an important step toward building industry buy-in, professional experience, and an evidence base needed to inform responsible policy development and future therapeutic access in the region. Programs like this can help generate real-world clinical data while ensuring safety protocols, professional training, and patient protections remain central to implementation.
This legislation reflects a more cautious approach, focused more on research rather than on broader legal access. While this structure may limit near-term availability for patients who could benefit from psychedelic-assisted therapies, it offers a meaningful opportunity for New Jersey to contribute to the growing body of clinical evidence supporting these treatments while evaluating how such therapies might fit within the state’s behavioral health system in practice.
Colorado
Name of Bill: HB 26-1325 – Concerning Natural Medicine
Bill Summary: This bill would authorize Colorado’s Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) to establish a state-federal ibogaine research pilot program to address the opioid crisis and various mental health disorders. The initiative mandates federal alignment through FDA and DEA compliance while adding ibogaine expertise to the Natural Medicine Advisory Board. Furthermore, it establishes mandatory safety protocols, such as continuous medical monitoring and pre-screening, for any future regulated use.
Current Status: HB 26-1325 was formally introduced on March 6, 2026. Following a hearing on March 24, the House Health and Human Services Committee voted to refer the bill, as amended, to the House Appropriations Committee. It is currently pending review in Appropriations and has not yet been scheduled for a full floor vote.ring or a full floor vote.
Analysis: This bill requires the BHA to provide direct support to partners in navigating federal Investigational New Drug application and waiver processes, with the stated goal of creating a streamlined pathway for clinical research and compliant operations. The bill’s language mandating benefit-sharing agreements with Gabon to support its Indigenous people and farmers who cultivate iboga is an impressive attempt toward genuine reciprocity, and we hope that aspect of it is successful.
The bill establishes an Ibogaine Implementation Cash Fund to support the research pilot and the Natural Medicine Program. This fund is authorized to accept gifts, grants, and donations, with the BHA tasked to help participants secure additional grant funding.
Integrating opioid settlement funds into this framework would further diversify the initiative’s resources and align perfectly with the program’s goal of addressing the state’s severe opioid crisis. With nearly $880 million in settlement funds being distributed over 18 years, Colorado has ample unallocated resources dedicated to opioid abatement. Allocating some of these funds for the ibogaine pilot could be a wise investment in a strategy that hopes to use a root to directly address the root causes of the state’s overdose crisis.
MAPS remains committed to a post-prohibition future where evidence-based therapy and personal use coexist within a safe, legal framework. We continue to champion policies that advance medical breakthroughs while simultaneously advocating for the decriminalization of personal possession and use and community sharing to protect the dignity and autonomy of all who seek these medicines.
For a deeper dive into practical and visionary frameworks for shaping psychedelic policy across local, state, and federal jurisdictions, check out MAPS’ new Policy Guidebook!