This Memorial Day, honor America’s heroes by choosing to shop at a veteran-owned dispensary for all your long weekend needs.

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Since adult-use cannabis passed in Missouri in 2022, the state recently divided $15 million in adult-use sales revenue to fund support services for military veterans and substance abuse treatment programs, as well as the Missouri Public Defenders budget. That amount is projected to increase to $19 million by the time the fiscal year ends on July 1.

Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) director Amy Moore recently said that she was pleased with the fund accumulation so far. “It is so rewarding to see the impact of this voter-approved program on organizations that provide vital services to Missourians. We look forward to watching this impact grow and are grateful to be a part of it.” Moore said.

The collection of medical and adult-use cannabis revenue in Missouri differs slightly once operational costs have been paid. The constitutional amendment that legalized medical cannabis five years ago goes directly to the MVC, whereas adult-use cannabis revenue must first pay out any fees relating to cannabis offense expungement, and the leftover amounts are divided up among the three beneficiaries.

These three groups include the Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC), Missouri State Public Defender, and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). The MVC is described as a health care and “other services” group that serves both veterans as well as their families, while the Public Defender is a legal option for low-income Missourians. The DHSS’s goal is “to operate a grant program for subrecipients to increase access to evidence-based, low-barrier drug addiction treatment prioritizing medically proven treatment and overdose prevention and reversal methods and public or private treatment options with an emphasis on reintegrating recipients into their local communities, to support overdose prevention education, and to support job placement, housing, and counseling for those with substance use disorders.” This includes maintenance of veterans’ homes and various cemeteries. 

The most recent transfer to these groups on May 17 included a total of $15,229,302 split three ways, with each beneficiary receiving $5,076,434.

In January 2024, Moore gave a presentation in front of the House Veterans Committee showing that the MVC will receive a total of $19 million from cannabis sales revenue by the time that the fiscal year ends on July 1. Furthermore, Moore estimated that next year that amount will increase to approximately $22 million. “The governor’s recommendation is quite a bit more than expected and that is tied to the unexpectedly robust sales, mostly on the adult-use side,” Moore said. 

At the time, Moore’s data showed that Missouri had collected $98,873,147 in medical cannabis revenue ($41,406,336 of which went to DCR operating expenses and $39,978,820 to veterans). The state had also collected a total of $57,743,824 in adult-use revenue so far (split between $8,152,210 for DCR operating expenses, in addition to the three sets of beneficiaries receiving $1,278,973).

The MVC has received a grand total of $39,978,820 in medical cannabis sales revenue funds since the transfer began in September 2020. During that first year, the MVC received $2,135,510, followed by $6,843,310 in September 2021, $5 million in May 2022, $13 million in September 2022, and finally $13 million in October 2023.

Rep. Dave Griffith, who is also the veterans chair committee, commented on the success of legalization so far. “The amount of sales that they’ve had with commercial marijuana has been just record-breaking and exceeded all expectations and projections,” Griffith said. “Because of that, there’s going to be even more money into that pool than what they projected right after [Amendment 3] passed.” Griffith also commented that his goal is to increase the amount of funds given to the MVC to $50 million annually, citing the need for more money to better serve veterans services. “Many of them, they’re so overburdened with their caseloads that it’s hard to get in with them,” said Griffith. “If we can increase the number we have, we can start trying to cut down on that wait time many veterans have.”

During the most recent round of funds transferred, Moore released a statement in October 2023 about the positive growth coming from the adult-use cannabis market. “It is incredible that Missouri voters passed the adult use amendment less than one year ago, and we are now starting to see the financial impact the program’s success will have on multiple organizations and the Missourians they serve,” Moore said.

At the time, MVC executive director Paul Kirchoff also provided a statement about the benefits of the program. “These funds will help MVC continue to support the existing infrastructure of our seven Veterans Homes,” said Kirchoff.

While legal cannabis continues to serve Missouri, the topic of psilocybin continues to evolve. In March, the Missouri House Veterans Committee recently passed a psilocybin legalization bill (Senate Bill 768) which if passed would allow veterans to use psilocybin therapy. 

In April, the Missouri House of Representatives approved a budget bill that sets aside $10 million in psilocybin research grants, which would come from the state opioid settlement funds. The research studies would study how psilocybin affects people with opioid abuse disorder.

Originally this also included the research of ibogaine for treating the disorder but was changed to focus on psilocybin instead. According to Rep. Cody Smith who introduced that budget bill, the switch from ibogaine to psilocybin was due to a discussion he had with the Department of Mental Health the week prior. “They had concerns about the ibogaine research they had read, and there are concerns about the dangers involved in that research,” said Smith. “However, they are interested in the psilocybin piece. And we’ve seen many other states use their opioid settlement funds to that end.”

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The Missouri House Veterans Committee recently passed a medical psilocybin bill that would legalize psilocybin therapy for veterans and also grant funds for research on further therapeutic benefits.

Currently the House bill is unpublished, but an identical Senate version of the bill was also passed recently as well. SB-768 was pre-filed in December 2023 by Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder and was most recently passed in the Senate Committee on Emerging Issues on Feb. 27, with revisions to allow military veterans over 21 to use psilocybin if they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or substance use disorders. Other qualifications include a requirement to “enroll or sought to be enrolled” in a study focused on psilocybin treatment and must also share their diagnosis and psilocybin use and possession with the Department of Mental Health (DoMH).

The restrictions include limiting psilocybin use to a maximum of 150 mg during a 12-month period.

Missouri’s “Right to Try” law allows people with terminal illnesses to gain legal access to experimental drugs. This law also applies to the psilocybin bill. “Additionally, this act modifies current law on the use of investigational drugs and devices for individuals with terminal illnesses to include individuals with life-threatening or severely debilitating conditions or illnesses,” the SB-768 states. “Currently, investigational drugs shall not include Schedule I controlled substances. This act repeals that prohibition.”

As psilocybin patients are required to enroll in research initiatives, the DoMH is granting “$3 million dollars for research on the use and efficacy of psilocybin for the treatment of conditions listed in the act, with such appropriation being made from the Opioid Addiction Treatment and Recovery Fund.” The results and recommendations of this will be prepared and delivered to the governor, lieutenant governor, and general assembly every year.

The research would cover “the use of psilocybin, for the treatment of patients suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, substance use disorders, or who require end-of-life care.”

According to the current bill text, if passed, it would take effect in August 2024.

Rep. Aaron McMullen introduced the House version of SB-768 during the 2024 session. As a veteran who served in Afghanistan, McMullen has a personal connection to veterans’ needs. “Substance abuse and suicide are escalating in the veterans community,” said McMullen told The Independent in January. “While psilocybin is not a panacea for every issue, it represents a first true scientifically-validated hope that we have to address this crisis.”

In a statement to the Senate Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee in January, Rehder also explained the need to stand up for veterans across the state. “Many of our veterans experience high amounts of PTSD due to serving their country—due to protecting us,” Rehder said. “There should be no limits for them when it comes to access to mental health treatment, including non-pharmacological treatments.”

More support came from veteran William Wisner, who is executive director of the veteran-focused nonprofit organization Grunt Style Foundation. “My experience with these types of modalities has been that the side effects make you more empathetic,” said Wisner. “They make you kinder. They make you more open to kindness. It gives you a psychological and spiritual component to which you can engage in your own recovery.”

Wisner admitted that he never would have tried psilocybin treatment if he didn’t see the transformative results in his fellow peers. Committee Chairman Dave Griffith echoed that sentiment, telling The Independent that times have changed. “If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be chairing a committee and listening to psychedelics, I would have told you, ‘You’re crazy,’” Griffith said. “But I really have a passion for the struggles that my veteran brothers and sisters are going through, and I think we’ve got to look at the big picture.”

Research on psilocybin is changing the minds of legislators across the country. 

On Jan. 24 in Hawaii, a psilocybin bill aims to protect patients who choose to seek out psilocybin as a treatment for “post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), treatment-resistant depression or major depressive disorder, end-of-life anxiety, existential stress, and demoralization, anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders, addiction, obsessive compulsive disorder.”

One bill proposed in Arizona on Feb. 2 would legalize psilocybin therapy programs, if passed. Toward the end of February, the New Mexico Senate also recently passed memorial legislation to permit the study of psilocybin and also research regulatory framework proposals.

Psilocybin support isn’t limited to the U.S. In Canada, 79% of residents support psilocybin use to treat existential dread for end-of-life patients. According to study leader Michel Dorval, a researcher at CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, the evidence is increasing. “Studies have already shown that psilocybin, combined with psychotherapy, produces rapid, robust and lasting anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in patients suffering from advanced cancer,” Dorval said. “This substance can bring about a profound awareness that leads the patient to view existence from a different perspective. Treatment with psilocybin, combined with psychotherapy, can produce relief for up to six months.”

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As per a new law, the Department of Defense will begin tracking overdoses within the United States military in 2024 and begin to provide naloxone to service members beginning in 2025. 

Military overdose deaths have historically not been systematically tracked until the release of a report by Rolling Stone in 2022 detailing the steep rise in overdose deaths at Fort Bragg, which has since been renamed to Fort Liberty. The report detailed the shocking increase in deaths from fentanyl, counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl and deaths in otherwise healthy young men from causes typically sustained from long-term drug use that were not labeled as overdoses.

In general, Rolling Stone described shoddy record-keeping and experienced a general lack of transparency from the brass at Fort Liberty regarding drug use, drug-related crimes or overdose by military members. Of the 109 deaths that occurred at Fort Liberty between 2020 and 2021, at least 14 soldiers died directly from overdose, though that number is likely higher if you count deaths from drug-related causes, 21 by Rolling Stone’s count, making accidental overdose the leading cause of death at Fort Liberty behind suicide which claimed the lives of 41 soldiers in the same time period. 

After the Rolling Stone report, pressure built on Congress to do something about the issue and Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) along with other congressmen began to push the Pentagon for increased transparency. This request led to an admission by the Pentagon that fentanyl-related deaths roughly doubled among military members between 2017 and 2021, much like the rest of the country experienced. According to a Military.com report, 330 service members died from drug overdose between 2017 and 2022, and 15,000 soldiers experienced non-fatal overdoses in the same time frame. 

“Real security means guaranteeing that members of the military and their families can get resources and life-saving treatment necessary to stop the overdose crisis in its tracks,” Senator Markey said in a statement to Military.com.

The law requiring overdose tracking and NARCAN distribution was signed by President Biden in December of 2022 and goes into effect in 2024. According to Military.com, the Department of Defense will be required to submit an annual report on overdose deaths, overdose locations, demographics, whether the service member had previously sought mental health treatment, or if they’d previously been prescribed opioids, benzodiazepines or stimulants.

“It’s really just smart public health,” said Professor Alex Bennett to Military.com. Bennett serves as the director of New York University’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Program. “There’s really a lot of drug naivete amongst military personnel,” Bennett said.

Part of the issue, as is the same with the civilian population, is that fentanyl is often used to make “pressed pills” or fake prescription pills designed to look like pharmaceutical painkillers or benzodiazepines which are often poorly dosed, causing people to unwittingly ingest a lethal dose of fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration has estimated that about 70% of fake prescription pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. 

“We’ve been working with a lot of veterans who use substances while they’re in the military. Transparency with data tracking like the kind the military is set to begin doing is a step in the right direction,” Bennett said. “Closing your eyes to drug problems doesn’t solve anything,” Bennett said. “It just makes things worse.”

Carole De Nola, whose 23-year-old child died of an overdose while stationed at Fort Liberty, told Military.com that drug education is especially needed among military members as the new law does not require the military to educate service members on the dangers of fentanyl.

“We should be dealing with this before a service member’s about to overdose,” De Nola said. 

It was not immediately clear how the military would be distributing naloxone, commonly known as NARCAN, which is a life-saving medication that can halt an opioid overdose in its tracks. Many NARCAN distribution programs have been established at the level of local cities and townships but nothing has been established federally, or by military leadership until the new law was passed. The new law requires that naloxone be made available to all troops by the year 2025. The law also requires all the naloxone distributed by tracked, which could discourage some military members from seeking it out. 

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A recent report by CBS News highlighted this trend, noting that as “ many veterans with PTSD remain desperate for healing, a growing number are turning to psychedelic-assisted treatment in Mexico — using substances the government they fought for says are illegal.”

“As I watched more of my teammates…more veterans start to take their own lives, I realized that that’s an option,” Herb Daniels, a former Green Beret, told CBS.

Following his retirement from the military, Daniels “said he faced a profound darkness that started to consume him,” which ultimately resulted in multiple suicide attempts.

He ultimately “found out about VETS, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions,” a “nonprofit organization funds grants for veterans to go to Mexico for treatment that isn’t legal in the United States,” according to CBS News. 

The organization shuttles veterans from San Diego to Mexico for a psychedelic retreat each week.

Daniels embarked on his first retreat last year. CBS News has more on the experience:

“Upon arrival at the retreat site, the location of which CBS News was asked not to disclose for the safety and security of the participants, the veterans met with a local facilitator, Juan Aguilar, who guided them through the process. Aguilar first focused on setting intentions and preparing the veterans for their experience. The therapy session started with the use of mapacho smoke to cleanse the space, followed by a focused meditation with the medicine. The heart of the treatment involves a short, intense, psychedelic experience. During his session, Daniels went through a range of emotions, visibly moved as tears rolled down his face. The experience lasted about 10 minutes, and he said it felt ‘magical, like a fresh start.’”

“My heart was just opened, wide open, and there was laid bare so much pain, so much anger and as soon as I let it go, I became aware of my presence again, and I felt my body just relax,” Daniels told the network.

According to CBS, Daniels “and his wife now dedicate themselves to assisting veterans in getting the help they need – by helping them get to Mexico for treatment.”

The story highlights a significant component of the drive to make psychedelics legal in the United States: researchers are increasingly convinced of their potential as a form of mental health treatment, and they have been vulnerable populations, including returning veterans.

Earlier this month, Massachusetts Gov. Maura T. Healey filed legislation that includes a proposal to the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics for veterans.

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country, and this transformative legislation marks an important step toward ensuring that Massachusetts supports them in return,” said Healey. “From day one, our administration has been committed to revitalizing veterans’ services in Massachusetts and ensuring that every one of these heroes receives the benefits, resources and support that they deserve.”

Veterans advocacy groups applauded the bill.

“We’re grateful to Governor Healey and her team for recognizing the need for giving back to the heroes who have served our country, both at home and overseas,” said Bill LeBeau, Adjutant for Massachusetts Veterans of Foreign Wars. “With this bill, the Healey-Driscoll Administration demonstrates a real commitment to accomplishing outcomes for our Veterans that will be meaningful and impactful in so many ways; it also sends a signal that more needs to be done to support them.”

The most decisive action will have to come from Washington, however, as psychedelics remain prohibited under federal law. 

A growing number of lawmakers on Capitol Hill have publicly endorsed making psychedelics legal for mental health treatment. 

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX-02) introduced a bill this summer that would direct the Department of Defense to research psychedelics.

“This is a real wild coalition,” Crenshaw said after introducing the measure, noting the ideological composition of the bill’s sponsors.

The most crucial show of support would come from the White House, and there were signals earlier this year that President Joe Biden could actually be amenable to psychedelic treatment.

Biden’s younger brother, Frank Biden, said as much in an interview this past summer.

 “He is very open-minded,” Frank Biden said in an interview with radio host Michael Smerconish. 

“Put it that way. I don’t want to speak; I’m talking brother-to-brother. Brother-to-brother,” he added. “The question is, is the world, is the U.S. ready for this? My opinion is that we are on the cusp of a consciousness that needs to be brought about to solve a lot of the problems in and around addiction, but as importantly, to make us aware of the fact that we’re all one people and we’ve got to come together.”

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Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey last week filed legislation to increase benefits and modernize services for the state’s military veterans that includes a proposal to study the medical benefits of psychedelic drugs. The bill, known as an Act Honoring, Empowering and Recognizing Our Servicemembers and Veterans (HERO Act), was unveiled on November 9 by Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services.

The Healey administration said in a statement that the legislation would positively impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of military veterans living in Massachusetts, including nearly 30,000 women and LGBTQ+ vets. At a ceremony marking the bill’s introduction, Healey said that the legislation is the first time in 20 years that a Massachusetts governor has “introduced a comprehensive and expansive legislative package dedicated to the welfare of veterans.”

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country, and this transformative legislation marks an important step toward ensuring that Massachusetts supports them in return,” said Healey. “From day one, our administration has been committed to revitalizing veterans’ services in Massachusetts and ensuring that every one of these heroes receives the benefits, resources and support that they deserve.”

Among its many other provisions, the HERO Act would establish a working group to research the “health benefits of psychedelics as treatment for veterans suffering from physical or mental health disorders related to their service,” according to the governor’s office. 

The legislation has the support of representatives from several veterans service organizations, including Bill LeBeau, Adjutant for Massachusetts Veterans of Foreign Wars. 

“We’re grateful to Governor Healey and her team for recognizing the need for giving back to the heroes who have served our country, both at home and overseas,” LeBeau said in a statement. “With this bill, the Healey-Driscoll Administration demonstrates a real commitment to accomplishing outcomes for our Veterans that will be meaningful and impactful in so many ways; it also sends a signal that more needs to be done to support them.”

Other key provisions of the HERO Act include expanding access to behavioral and mental health treatment, increasing benefits for disabled veterans, improving support for employers that hire veterans, updating the definition of a veteran, expanding the scope of the Veterans Equality Review Board, initiating a pilot program for LGBTQ+ couples denied IVF reimbursement by the Veterans Health Administration, and codifying the state’s medical and dental benefits for military veterans.

“By promoting inclusivity and expanding benefits, we’re not only showing our gratitude to veterans but also addressing their evolving needs,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This legislative package represents a significant step forward in the care and support we provide to our veterans, particularly for women and LGBTQ+ veterans.”

Psilocybin And Mental Health

Research has shown that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy can have a positive effect on many mental health conditions commonly experienced by the nation’s military veterans. Studies conducted by Johns Hopkins and other researchers have shown that psilocybin has the potential to be an effective treatment for several serious mental health conditions, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety and substance misuse disorders. A study published in 2020 in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Psychiatry found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy was a quick-acting and effective treatment for a group of 24 participants with major depressive disorder. Separate research published in 2016 determined that psilocybin treatment produced substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer.

Federal agencies including the Food and Drug Administration are currently reviewing the potential for psychedelics to treat serious mental health conditions. In May 2022, the head of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration wrote to U.S. Representative Madeleine Dean, a Pennsylvania Democrat, that FDA approval of psilocybin to treat depression was likely within the next two years.

As the nation faces rising rates of substance use and mental health issues “we must explore the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapies to address this crisis,” Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, assistant secretary for mental health and substance use, wrote to Dean.

The ongoing research has prompted several states to consider legislation to ease the prohibition on psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs, particularly for therapeutic purposes. In May, Oregon officials issued the state’s first license for a psychedelic therapy treatment center following the legalization of magic mushrooms for therapeutic use with the passage of a 2020 ballot measure. A similar initiative was approved by Colorado voters in 2022.

Healey’s proposal is not the only plan to reform laws prohibiting the use of psychedelics in Massachusetts. Supporters of a proposed ballot measure to legalize the possession and supervised use of psychedelics began collecting signatures in September. The campaign has already reportedly collected more than 75,000 signatures on petitions to bring the initiative to a vote, which could come as soon as next year.

State lawmakers have also taken legislative steps to achieve psychedelics reform. At least two bills, https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S1009 in the Massachusetts Senate and another in the state House of Representatives, would remove criminal penalties for some natural psychedelics. Under the bills, adults would be permitted to grow and use small amounts of certain psychedelics, including psilocybin mushrooms.

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The Canada Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs held a press conference on Nov. 8 to talk about its newest report on psychedelic-assisted therapy. Entitled “The Time is Now: Granting equitable access to psychedelic-assisted therapies,” the report calls for “immediately launch and fund a large-scale research program on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for treating those mental disorders and other conditions that have been identified as potentially being therapeutic targets for these types of interventions.”

The report stated that 10-15% of Canadian military veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among other ailments both physical and mental in nature. Many of them suffer what the report described as “moral injuries, as if the person’s very spirit has been broken, making it impossible for them to make sense of their actions.” Due to this, many veterans are more likely to commit suicide than non-veterans.

Research regarding the use of psilocybin and MDMA has grown in recent years, but the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) has employed a “wait-and-see” approach to psychedelic-assisted therapies, and so the subcommittee demands that a new course of action be taken. “The Subcommittee believes that the Department’s position is ill-suited to the leadership role it should be taking on, wherein it should be doing everything in its power to improve the health of veterans, particularly those who have exhausted all the treatment options available to them,” the report stated in the executive summary.

The subcommittee’s recommendation includes a research program funded by VAC, the Department of National Defence, and partnering with Health Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and more. “This approach would ensure, first of all, that those veterans most likely to benefit from it are given access to treatment with the best scientific support available, and second of all, that the initial findings on the effectiveness of this treatment for veterans are either proven or qualified,” the report stated.

The report explained the government has a moral obligation to seek out any opportunity to help its veterans, even if the results may vary. “Research on these subjects is constantly evolving and will continue to do so. No one can predict whether progress will be spectacular or whether there will be setbacks. What we know today is that there is no reason to wait for results from other countries, because the results would still need to be confirmed for our veterans,” it stated. “It is the Government of Canada’s duty to assure veterans that it is doing everything in its power, immediately, to respect its solemn commitment to support, at any cost, those who chose to defend us with honour.”

The subcommittee included a variety of quotations from veterans, professors, and researchers, regarding the risks and benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy. One of its primary points shared is that there is not enough research to test its efficacy, and there’s a lot that researchers still don’t know about substances like psilocybin and MDMA. 

“Therefore, it is paramount to find an appropriate balance between providing timely access to these new treatments for those who are the most likely to benefit from them and doing so in a safe and professional context governed by the strictest ethical and professional rules,” the subcommittee added.

The report cites information provided by Health Canada Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Shannon Nix, specifically nine clinical trials for MDMA, three psilocybin research efforts, and one focusing on ketamine for PTSD are currently underway and authorized by Health Canada.

However, there appears to be some discrepancy regarding the progress of some of these approved research projects. The MDMA research effort under the Special Access Program had “44 approvals and 58 patients,” according to Health Canada Pharmaceutical Drugs Directorate Director General Karen Reynolds, but “none of the 11 applications for MDMA were approved.” Reynolds explained that the inconsistency was due to not having a source of pharmaceutical-grade MDMA. “The fact that there is no source of safe product is also a barrier for those calling for accessibility to be expanded immediately,” the report said in response.

Alongside many more examples in support of expanding substance research, the report reiterates the necessity of exploring every treatment option for the country’s veterans. “These veterans are suffering because they rose to the highest calling of our nation. In return, Canadian decision-makers should do everything in their power, explore every avenue, leave no stone unturned, in case even one is hiding a wisp of a solution that could help them improve their daily lives,” the report stated. “Let’s tackle this problem with all available resources, motivated by their despair. What could be more important than that?”

Numerous studies conducted in the U.S. have also shown the effectiveness of substances like MDMA and psilocybin for treating military veterans. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Substances (MAPS) recently unveiled information about its Phase 3 Trial for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. According to MAPS’s research, 86% of study participants improved on their standard PTSD assessment, while only 69% of participants from the placebo group saw improvement.

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The Central Intelligence Agency recently said in a podcast episode that a CIA-backed coup in Iran during the 1950’s was “undemocratic,” a first for the agency. 

According to an article by the Associated Press, the 1953 Iranian military coup that removed Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh from power gave control of Iran to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who served until his own overthrow in the 1979 Iranian Revolution. 

During the Iranian Revolution, the U.S. embassy in Iran was  seized by a group of Iranian students who took American citizens and others hostage for 444 days in a row. The CIA sent agents in to recover six American diplomats in one of the agency’s most famous missions which served as inspiration for the movie Argo. 

The CIA discussed these events and the 1953 coup in a recent episode of the CIA podcast “The Langley Files,” named after Langley Virginia where CIA headquarters is located. The podcast was started in late 2022 to publicly dispel some of the more negative rumors circulating about the nation’s most secretive arm of government (a substantial percentage of which do involve military coups, to be perfectly fair).

CIA historian and Langley Files host Walter Trosin said on the episode that much of the agency’s activities were focused on “bolstering” democratically elected governments but that this particular action did not meet that criteria. 

“We should acknowledge, though, that this is, therefore, a really significant exception to that rule,” Trosin said. 

“This is one of the exceptions to that,” said CIA historian Brett Geary in response. 

The CIA gave a statement to the AP after the episode was released, essentially saying that if they were going to tell the story of the CIA’s 1979 extraction mission, it would only be right under the context of all the events that led to that day. 

“CIA’s leadership is committed to being as open with the public as possible,” the agency said in a statement to the AP. “The agency’s podcast is part of that effort — and we knew that if we wanted to tell this incredible story, it was important to be transparent about the historical context surrounding these events, and CIA’s role in it.”

The CIA has kept most of if not all information about the coup classified for the last 70 years. But despite these recent developments and despite other members of government publicly offering similar sentiments in the past, almost all the CIA’s information about the coup remains classified to this day. The CIA actually admitted at one point that most of the files related to the 1953 coup were likely destroyed in the 1960’s, according to the AP.

“It’s wrong to suggest that the coup operation itself has been fully declassified. Far from it,” said Malcolm Byrne of the National Security Archive. “Important parts of the record are still being withheld, which only contributes to public confusion and encourages myth-making about the U.S. role long after the fact.”

Iran dismissed the steps taken by the CIA to shed some light on the situation, calling it “the inception of relentless American meddling in Iran’s internal affairs” in a statement to the AP.

“The U.S. admission never translated into compensatory action or a genuine commitment to refrain from future interference, nor did it change its subversive policy towards the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations said.

These developments come at a time where tensions between the United States and Iran are high, even by historical comparison, due to U.S. pressure on Iran to halt progress on its nuclear program. President Biden also just reached a deal with Qatar to prevent Iran from accessing $6 billon in assets that were unfrozen as part of a prisoner swap deal in response to Iran’s longtime support of Hamas, a militant group which led a bloody and unprecedented assault on Israel over the weekend that killed hundreds of civilians. 

Another first for the agency came on the same podcast episode – a previously unnamed CIA operative who took part in the 1979 extraction had his identity revealed as  agency linguist and exfiltration specialist Ed Johnson, who was previously only known as “Julio.”

Johnson recounted his experience on the mission to the hosts of the podcast, saying it was especially challenging because the diplomats they had to rescue were not spies and had no formal training for anything resembling the situation they found themselves in. 

“Working with the six — these are rookies,” Johnson recounts in an interview aired by the podcast. “They were people who were not trained to lie to authorities. They weren’t trained to be clandestine, elusive.”

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Lawmakers in Michigan last week passed a resolution in which they called on members of the United States Congress, as well as the Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs, to “prioritize research and investment in non-technology treatment options for servicemembers and veterans who have psychological trauma as a result of military service.”

The resolution spans three pages and was sponsored by more than 20 members of the Michigan legislature. It was approved in the state Senate last Thursday.

The measure makes reference to the severe psychological toll endured by members of the military, noting that the “men and women who voluntarily sign-up to serve our nation in the United States Armed Forces, and the additional uniformed services, generally do so with an understanding that such service may ultimately impact their physical and mental well-being,” and that they “may have experiences that increase the risk for developing behavioral health problems, including traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression.”

“Effective treatment options for these conditions vary from servicemember to servicemember,” the resolution says.

“Non-technology treatment options, such as buddy-to-buddy programs, controlled use of psychedelics in clinical settings, outdoor therapy, and easier access to service animals, among others, have shown promise to help veterans improve their mental health and find a new normal while dealing with the invisible wounds of war and service,” it continues.

The resolution said that the “families of servicemembers must also not be forgotten, and resources should be made available to help them understand and assist their loved ones who may be suffering from psychological trauma. Family members of servicemembers or veterans with behavioral health problems may experience family violence and aggression, lower parenting satisfaction, and child behavior problems,” and that resources “should include services that will help family members deal with the impacts of their family members’ service.”

Psychedelics continue to gain support as a potential treatment option for those suffering from mental health conditions, including military veterans, who often return from combat with post-traumatic stress disorder.

In July, a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill came together to include a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act that directs the Department of Defense to research psychedelic treatment in military facilities. 

The group was headlined by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw.

“This is a real wild coalition,” Crenshaw said at the time.

“Psychedelics have shown so much promise,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “We desperately need the resources to treat PTSD, traumatic brain injury and depression. At least one in two PTSD patients cannot tolerate or do not respond adequately to existing treatments.”

Earlier this year, the brother of President Joe Biden indicated that the chief executive is open to psychedelic treatment.

“He is very open-minded,” Frank Biden said in an interview then. 

“Put it that way. I don’t want to speak; I’m talking brother-to-brother. Brother-to-brother,” he added. “The question is, is the world, is the U.S. ready for this? My opinion is that we are on the cusp of a consciousness that needs to be brought about to solve a lot of the problems in and around addiction, but as importantly, to make us aware of the fact that we’re all one people and we’ve got to come together.”

Ocasio-Cortez, however, seems unconvinced by the president’s openness. The New York congresswoman pointed to Biden’s record on cannabis reform, which does include a historic pardon of those with federal pot convictions, but is also highlighted by a stubbornness to fully embrace legalization. Biden has previously suggested that he is open to decriminalization of pot, but not an outright end to prohibition.

“I believe the president has displayed a regressiveness for cannabis policy,” she said in July. “And if there’s a regressiveness toward cannabis policy, it’s likely to be worse on anything else.”

The lawmakers in Michigan hope there are favorable conditions for reform in Washington. 

“The need to address veteran mental health is of key importance in Michigan. In 2021, it was reported that there were 554,281 veterans living in Michigan, making Michigan rank eleventh out of fifty-three states and territories in veteran population,” the resolution said. “However, between 2016 and 2020, it was reported that there were 882 Michigan veterans who died by suicide.”

The lawmakers said they “urge the United States Congress, Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs to prioritize research and investment in non-technology treatment options for servicemembers and veterans who have psychological trauma as a result of military service.”

They also resolved that copies of their resolution “be transmitted to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, the Chair and Ranking Members of the Committees on Veterans Affairs and Armed Services, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.”

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A judge’s order forcing a temporary pause on the issuing of cannabis dispensary licenses in New York was extended for two weeks on Friday as business owners impacted by the injunction rallied outside an Ulster County courthouse to plead their case. Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bryant withheld a ruling at a hearing in a legal challenge to New York’s cannabis dispensary regulations brought by a group of military veterans, setting a new hearing in the case for August 25. 

Bryant’s ruling keeps in place a temporary injunction issued last week barring the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) from issuing new Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses or further processing approved licenses, preventing licensees from getting their businesses up and running.

Lawsuit Filed By Veterans

The lawsuit was filed earlier this month by four veterans who have served a combined total of more than two decades in various branches of the U.S. military. The vets argue that restricting retail licenses to those with cannabis convictions violates the state Constitution and was not approved by the legislature when it legalized adult-use cannabis two years ago.

The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, the 2021 law that legalized recreational marijuana in New York, includes provisions that set a goal of awarding at least half of the state’s recreational marijuana dispensaries to social and economic equity applicants. Under a program launched by New York Governor Kathy Hochul last year, the state’s first CAURD licenses for retail cannabis shops have been reserved for “individuals most impacted by the unjust enforcement of the prohibition of cannabis or nonprofit organizations whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated.” 

To be eligible for a CAURD license, applicants must either have had a cannabis conviction or be the family member of someone with a cannabis conviction, among other criteria. Nonprofits with a history of serving formerly or currently incarcerated individuals were also eligible to apply for a CAURD license. So far, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), the state’s cannabis regulatory agency, has issued 463 CAURD licenses, although less than two dozen dispensaries have opened statewide.

Brian Burns, an attorney representing the four plaintiffs, said at Friday’s hearing that his clients have been denied the CAURD program’s benefits for early licensees, including access to strictly regulated retail locations.

“That pushes this from being late to the party to potentially exiled from the process,” Burns told the Democrat Chronicle.

“I don’t think you can quantify how being subjected to an unconstitutional program impacts a person,” Burns said when asked by reporters to detail the potential harm done to the veterans caused by the CAURD program.

At Friday’s hearing, Bryant also set a deadline of 5:00 p.m. Tuesday for litigants to file revised arguments in the case. It is possible the judge could make a ruling based on those filings, according to media reports, but Bryant’s decision is more likely to come at the hearing scheduled for August 25.

Licensees Rally Against Lawsuit

Outside the courtroom in Kingston, New York, a group of cannabis business owners rallied to describe how the injunction is impacting their businesses and to encourage Bryant to dismiss the lawsuit. Many noted that a delay in opening additional licensed retailers will prolong the influence unlicensed operators have on New York’s recreational cannabis market.

Coss Marte, CEO of CONBUD, a CAURD-licensed business with a mission to hire previously incarcerated individuals, joined with three other licensees to file a motion at Friday’s hearing to give impacted entrepreneurs a voice in the proceedings. He notes that only three years ago, before the legalization of cannabis, Black and Latino New Yorkers made up 94% of New York City’s drug arrests, usually for simple possession.

“We’ve paid our dues. We’ve done the time, and if there’s one thing we hope for the world and the court to know, it’s that like cannabis, we’re here for good and we are here to stay,” Marte said in a statement to High Times. 

“We had the opportunity to be heard and to fight on behalf of all of our fellow CAURD licensees who will experience irreparable harm if they’re barred from operating their businesses, and we are confident and hopeful that the court wants a swift resolution that honors the original promises made to justice-impacted license holders,” he added.

CAURD Licensee Josh Canfield said that Bryant’s order is forcing business owners who were only days away from opening to delay their plans. In the meantime, a settlement in the case could put things back on track.

“The judge extended the temporary [injunction] that suspends all CAURD operations that are not operational at this time including the ones that were slated to open as soon as next week,” Canfield wrote in an email to High Times. “The judge has urged all parties to try and work together to come up with a solution that is fair to each side, and to do that by the next time they convene in court.” 

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