📣 Petition Summary:

We urge Missouri lawmakers and health officials to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic and regulated adult use. Scientific research supports its safe and transformative effects on mental health. As a combat veteran living with PTSD, I can personally attest to psilocybin’s power to heal. This isn’t just data—this is life-saving medicine.

 

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To:

Governor Mike Parson, Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, Missouri General Assembly, and Members of the Missouri Senate Committee on Health and Welfare,

 

As a combat veteran living with PTSD, I started this petition because I’ve experienced firsthand the healing potential of psilocybin mushrooms. After struggling with alcoholism for years, one small, guided psilocybin experience changed everything. I felt better—not just for hours, but for weeks. I stopped drinking. I stopped craving alcohol. For the first time in years, I felt peace.

 

I’m not alone.

 

Across the country—and right here in Missouri—people are discovering that psilocybin, when used responsibly and in safe, supportive settings, is changing lives. Veterans, first responders, trauma survivors, those living with depression, anxiety, and terminal illness—they are all finding hope where traditional medicine has failed them.

 

Missouri has already shown leadership in modern drug policy by legalizing medical and recreational cannabis. Now it’s time to apply that same compassionate, evidence-based thinking to psilocybin.

 

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🧠 Why Psilocybin? Science-Backed Mental Health Breakthrough

 

Major research institutions—including Johns Hopkins, NYU, and Imperial College London—have conducted rigorous clinical trials showing that psilocybin therapy can lead to significant improvements in:

 

Treatment-resistant depression
PTSD (especially in veterans)
End-of-life anxiety
Substance use disorders (including alcoholism, nicotine, and opioids)

 

 

Key findings:

 

A 2022 Johns Hopkins study found that psilocybin therapy produced lasting depression relief in 71% of patients.
Source: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/psilocybin-treatment-for-major-depression-effective-for-up-to-a-year-for-most-patients-study-shows
The FDA has granted “Breakthrough Therapy” status to psilocybin—twice—because of its potential to outperform existing treatments for depression.
Source: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements (search “psilocybin”)
A 2022 Nature Medicine study confirmed psilocybin significantly reduces anxiety and depression in people facing terminal illnesses.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-01801-1

 

 

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🧾 Legislative Momentum in Missouri

 

Psilocybin policy is already gaining ground in our state:

 

Senate Bill 90, approved in early 2025 by a Senate committee, would legalize psilocybin therapy for people with PTSD, depression, end-of-life anxiety, and addiction.
Source: https://themarijuanaherald.com/2025/03/missouri-senate-committee-approves-medical-psilocybin-bill/
House Bill 829, introduced by Rep. Richard West (R-Wentzville), proposes legal psilocybin access for veterans through supervised clinical use and research programs.
Source: https://themarijuanaherald.com/2025/01/new-missouri-bill-would-legalize-psilocybin-therapy-for-veterans/
The Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services has pledged $2 million in research grants to explore psilocybin’s benefits.
Source: https://hightimes.com/news/missouri-house-approves-psilocybin-research-bill/

 

 

Veterans like Charles Andrew Juden IV—a Missouri first responder—testified that psilocybin gave him “a will to live.” These stories matter.

Source: https://www.missourinet.com/2025/02/25/a-will-to-live-missouri-considers-legalizing-magic-mushrooms-for-veterans-at-end-of-rope/

 

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✅ Our Proposal

 

We ask that Missouri take the following steps:

 

Decriminalize personal possession and home cultivation of psilocybin for adults 21+.
Legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy through licensed professionals and clinics.
Create a regulatory framework under the Department of Health & Senior Services to ensure safe access and quality control.
Prioritize access for veterans, terminally ill patients, and individuals with treatment-resistant mental health conditions.
Support education for healthcare providers and law enforcement.
Allocate state funding for research, training, and oversight.

 

 

This is not about promoting recreational use. It’s about safety, science, compassion—and healing.

 

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✊ Why This Matters to Me

 

I was stuck in a cycle of trauma, anxiety, and addiction. Traditional medicine helped, but it wasn’t enough. Psilocybin gave me the breakthrough I needed to start living again. I’ve been sober since, and I want others to have access to that same opportunity—especially veterans, who are disproportionately affected by PTSD and suicide.

 

This isn’t a radical idea. It’s already happening across the U.S. in places like Oregon, Colorado, and soon, hopefully, Missouri.

 

Please support this petition, share it with your community, and help us bring hope and healing to thousands of Missourians.

 

Thank you for your time—and your heart.

 

Sincerely,

Benjamin Akins

akins.benjamin.h@gmail.com