LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — "Magic mushrooms" may become available here in Nevada if a newly-proposed bill passes in the state legislature.
Nevada Democrats want to decriminalize the use of small amounts of the psychedelic and study the benefits of other controlled substances.
Dr. Dustin Hines, an assistant professor of neuroscience at UNLV, said "magic mushrooms" are fungi that produce psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic.
Hines and others believe they can help the brain heal from mental disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, or addiction.
"These are powerful, powerful substances," Hines said. "It really promotes growth in those connections in the networks that is natural or better."
Hines adds psilocybin might even provide a solution to Nevada's opioid crisis and drug dependency.
"Psilocybin has a huge effect on use," Hines said. "This can put Nevada at the forefront of research institutes."
Hines said he's thrilled Senate Bill 242 has been introduced in Nevada. The bill would decriminalize the use of "magic mushrooms" for people 18 and older in amounts smaller than 4 ounces.
Channel 13 spoke with Jared Whitcomb, who said he uses "magic mushrooms." He claims it has helped him deal with his anxiety and recover from an addiction to cigarettes.
Others in the valley, like Jared Watts and his wife, said they would give the green light to using the mushrooms for medicinal purposes. However, they have their concerns about people taking advantage.
"With alcohol, people abuse that and get into car accidents, so I don't think it's going to be any different with magic mushrooms," Watts said.
Another concern is potential overdoses, but doctors said that's unlikely.
"It is very unlikely for people to overdose," Hines said. "We talk about something called L.D. 50 — the lethal dose — and that's very high for psilocybin."
Hines said the legalization of marijuana has paved the way for bills like this, but he adds more research still needs to be done.
"They are completely different, and I think the therapeutic benefit for marijuana is high, but it's higher for psilocybin," Hines said.
