Imagine a simple molecule found in the forests of West Virginia that could herald a renaissance in the health and wellness of our state’s citizens.
A natural compound so consequential that it could launch a new industry with broad economic development potential centered on the recruitment of STEM students, faculty and staff to our colleges and universities.
Psilocin, a biochemical found in fungi, could even create a new sector of tourism catering to its therapeutic healing potential for the most intractable addictions including opioids, tobacco, alcohol and even gambling.
It’s a psychoactive agent found in several varieties of mushrooms on the cutting edge of behavioral healthcare research currently being conducted at a number of prestigious universities and medical centers including Johns Hopkins and UCLA.
Its efficacy is remarkable as it’s proving to be a game-changing remedy that can be administered in single dose treatment sessions for not only addictions but other disorders resistant to conventional treatments including PTSD, OCD, anxiety, anorexia and severe depression.
Naturally occurring psychedelic compounds have long been used in religious and healing ceremonies in various cultures and some scientists believe psilocybin mushrooms may have been the lynchpin in what is known as the “Great Leap” in human evolution 40,000 years ago.
The theory holds that nomadic tribes happened upon psychoactive mushrooms when foraging during migration and upon ingestion triggered the neural correlates that govern language, empathy, and leadership broadly.
Their therapeutic use in modern medicine is founded on the de-patterning of the neural pathways of the brain, and correspondingly the thought processes of the mind, to break out of the recurring habits of addiction and behaviors associated with various mood disorders.
Given the extremely high cost to society these maladies place on the public sector, the return on investment is clear especially when taking into account the potential to return many of those caught in these difficult cycles to their families and the workforce.
Last year, Colorado joined Oregon in legalizing both psilocybin mushrooms and synthesized psilocybin for administration by behavioral healthcare professionals in state-licensed facilities while another 19 states have had bills introduced decriminalizing their usage.
West Virginia’s geographic location central to the population centers of the eastern United States is ideally situated for the rollout into mainstream medicine while West Virginia University’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, with its prestige built on groundbreaking substance abuse research, is perfect for clinical licensing and national marketing.
Closer to home, practitioners could also make meaningful inroads into one of the most vexing societal problems we face — homelessness — as a sizable percentage of those on the street are struggling with addictions as well as mental health issues.
Given that treatment can be realized oftentimes in single sessions, it could prove to be the lynchpin for finally turning around the lives of those who could benefit the most, and by doing so help to lift the heavy burden on finite social services.
To be sure, addictions crisscross socioeconomic boundaries, especially when considering the fact that alcohol and tobacco, both legal carcinogens, permeate society at all levels and carry intergenerational ramifications.
Legalizing a natural substance that can effectively rewire the brain to break the patterns of addiction should be seen as a benefit not just for those on public assistance but for society as a whole and generations to come.
West Virginia lawmakers should take up legislation that capitalizes on the proven results of decades of applied research and leverage them against our most pressing problems including obesity with its many co-morbidities and health care costs that often get shifted onto us all.
What more perfect set and setting for hitting the neural rest button than the Mountain State, where our competitive advantages of transportation and natural resource infrastructure are already in place to welcome visitors for rest and relaxation away from the hustle and bustle?
Imagine a simple, natural molecule native to our lands that could heal our most vulnerable citizens, free us from our poisons, launch a health care revival, create new therapeutic industries and launch a cultural revolution that could transform the state’s image into one of proud national prominence.
