Could psilocybin help address Missouri’s opioid overdose deaths?

Could psilocybin help address Missouri’s opioid overdose deaths? 

The Parson Administration is investigating if a certain psychedelic, referred to as magic mushrooms, can help to treat certain illnesses such as opioid addiction. 

In a memo, the Missouri Department of Mental Health is asking for feedback on psilocybin to help the agency examine whether they can help to slow opioid addiction and abuse. 

It’s part of a larger effort to address mental health issues and addiction, considering the number of overdose deaths in the state. 

For Missouri in 2023, there were over 19-hundred deaths from drug overdoses, with 73-percent of them being attributed to opioids. 

According to state data, drug overdose is the number one leading cause of death among adults aged 18-to-44 in Missouri. 

Comments are due by October 25.