Advocates lobby for psychedelic drugs to address veteran suicides in Missouri – By Kurt Erickson (St Louis Post-Dispatch) / Aug 31, 2022
JEFFERSON CITY — Lawmakers seeking ways to address a suicide crisis among Missouri military veterans heard Wednesday from several advocates who said psychedelic drugs could provide an answer.
Among them was Dr. Rahul Kapur, a Kansas City doctor, who said Missouri could consider making plant-based drugs like psilocybin mushrooms legal for the treatment of mental disorders.
“So far the safety data has been very encouraging,” Kapur told members of the House Interim Committee on Veterans Mental Health and Suicide.
The panel is meeting against the backdrop of Missouri leading the nation in veterans suicides. In 2021, for example, 146 veterans died by suicide.
