According to Mental Health America, more than 20% of U.S. adults—roughly 50 million people—are experiencing mental illness. Even worse, according to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Nevada residents struggle with higher than average rates, yet are less likely to receive mental-health services.
Even when individuals do have access to mental-health care, our conventional medical system often relies on a “prescribe and park” approach, never truly getting to the root cause. We can do better than this.
We are in the midst of a psychedelic renaissance. Psilocybin, the active compound in “magic mushrooms,” has demonstrated both a strong safety profile and powerful therapeutic potential. This led the Food and Drug Administration to grant it breakthrough therapy status—a designation that can expedite the development of certain drugs—in 2018 and 2019. Moreover, major academic institutions including Johns Hopkins, the University of California and others continue to invest in psychedelic research.
Despite need, evidence and countless personal stories of profound, durable transformation, most people who might benefit from psilocybin still lack access.
Psilocybin and its active metabolite, psilocin, are considered both psychedelics and entheogens—natural substances that induce non-ordinary, spiritual or mystical states. The chemical structure is similar to serotonin, our primary calming neurotransmitter. Psilocybin also influences dopamine, the brain’s main reward neurotransmitter, and glutamate, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter. Together, these biochemicals help regulate emotion, mood and other neuropsychiatric processes. Additionally, the mushrooms’ strong anti-inflammatory properties help manage stress. Psilocybin also supports balanced immune function through the activation of microglial and astrocyte cells in the brain.
Research also shows that psilocybin promotes neuronal growth and connectivity—a process known as neuroplasticity. While we experience high neuroplasticity in our youth—vital for learning and memory—factors such as age, trauma, poor lifestyle habits and genetics can hinder neuroplasticity later in life, which can trap us in negative thought patterns and habits.
Psilocybin- or psilocin-triggered neuroplasticity lends itself to beneficial perceptual shifts and emotional reprocessing. Despite its early promise as a therapeutic agent and its strong safety profile, psilocybin became stigmatized during the 1960s. This ultimately led the U.S. government to classify it as a Schedule I drug in 1970, followed by a United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances international ban on psychedelics in 1971. Since then, however Johns Hopkins has published more than 200 papers, making psilocybin the most extensively studied natural psychedelic substance.
High-quality research, compelling success stories and vocal advocates have renewed interest in and respect for our ancient plant medicines. Today, we are seeing a resurgence of scientific research and growing recognition from scientists, health-care practitioners and the general public regarding the potential for psilocybin and other entheogens to address deep-rooted psychological challenges.
Thanks to the work of progressive legislators and activists, Nevada is making progress toward expanded access to this powerful plant medicine.
In 2023, the Nevada Coalition for Psychedelic Medicines—led by Kate Cotter and Jon Dalton and backed by Sen. Rochelle Nguyen and Assemblymember Max Carter—were successful in their efforts to pass Senate Bill 242. Although the bill was originally intended to decriminalize the possession of less than four ounces of psilocybin-containing mushrooms, it instead led to a professional working group to investigate the clinical utility of this compound.
In December 2024, the task force in Nevada approved a report (yet to be published as of this writing) recommending that lawmakers establish a program to regulate access to psychedelic-assisted therapy, and consider lowering legal penalties for possession of entheogenic plants and fungi. It’s an encouraging step, but progress toward safe and legal access is a slow journey.
As of this writing, Oregon and Colorado are the only states that have decriminalized the use of psilocybin, but many other states and municipalities are considering similar legislation. Use exemptions outside of decriminalization do exist, however, for both medical research and the sincere, spiritual use of entheogenic substances under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1993.
The federal RFRA legislation permits the use of psychedelic and entheogenic substances in spiritual practice, which is the basis for Reno-based Setas Seminary’s sacramental use of psilocybin. I am a co-founder of Setas Seminary, along with Leah Linder, a naturopathic physician. I can attest that our mission is a sincere one: to help people achieve whole mind-body wellness using a range of lifestyle tools, including psilocybin, within a genuinely supportive community.
Pam Conboy is a co-founder of Setas Seminary in Reno. Learn more at www.setasseminary.org.