Task Force Endorses Move Toward Natural Psychedelics For Clinical, Recreational Use

By Danielle J. Brown, Maryland Matters

November 11, 2025

A state task force studying the pros and cons of natural psychedelics recommended that state lawmakers take steps toward decriminalizing natural psychedelics for medical and recreational use in the near future.

The Maryland Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances, in a report released last week, says that with interest in the medicinal and therapeutic use of natural psychedelics on the rise, Maryland is “well positioned to be among the first states to expand access to psychedelic substances.”

But even as new research shows promising results for use of natural psychedelics to treat challenging mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, public health advocates urge caution as state lawmakers consider future decriminalization efforts and health policy.

“It’s a big deal and we need to take it seriously,” said Gene Ransom, CEO for MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society.

“We’re not saying we shouldn’t learn about it and learn new things … But we need to make sure that we first do no harm,” he said. “We need to be very careful and very thoughtful.”

The task force was created by 2024 legislation sponsored by Sen. Brian J. Feldman (D-Montgomery) and Del. Pam Lanman Guzzone (D-Howard) to study and make recommendations for “safe, equitable, and evidence-informed statewide approach to natural psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and mescaline excluding peyote” according to the report.

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“I was really interested in it particularly for the research that’s out there on its effectiveness … for a good number of people, on things like PTSD, traumatic brain injury, treatment-resistant depression,” Guzzone said.

She also noted that nearby areas like Washington, D.C., have a “gray market” on natural psychedelics, meaning Marylanders may still access them even if there are not currently legal avenues to acquire it in the state.

“If we’re going to have this out there, we need to be safe and really understand it,” Guzzone said.
The report released last week recommended that Maryland lawmakers first build regulations focusing on psilocybin, the substance found in “magic mushrooms,” before moving on to other natural psychedelics.

The topic of natural psychedelics is an evolving research and legislative field. Twelve other states have enacted legislation to study psychedelics or create a task force similar to the one in Maryland to recommend policies. A couple of states have already moved to decriminalize the substance for recreational use and therapeutic uses.

And even though the federal Food and Drug Administration currently classifies psilocybin as a Schedule 1 drug, the FDA gave it a “breakthrough therapy designation” in recent years for conditions like treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder.

That said, the state task force recognizes potential health and safety challenges in this newer landscape of public health.

“In this rapidly evolving landscape, policy choices carry real consequences: they can open access to potentially life-saving treatments, or inadvertently create public health risks,” the report says. “They can protect Indigenous and religious traditions, or unintentionally erode them. Effective policy requires not only scientific rigor, but cultural humility, ethical foresight, and a commitment to public safety.”

Phased approach

The task force recommends a multi-step approach that would start with greater access to psilocybin for medical and therapeutic uses, later expanding to possible recreational use and commercial sales.
The first phase would build a regulatory framework around psilocybin, which would include creating safety protocols, data monitoring, public education campaigns, law enforcement training and “immediate” restorative justice measures.

“There will be a lot of work to do, and I don’t think anyone needs to panic that come the end of session we’re suddenly going to have full-blown psilocybin availability. My guess is that this will take several years.”
– Del. Pam Lanman Guzzone (D-Howard)

The policy recommendation would include “deprioritization with civil penalties with expungement,” meaning that law enforcement would “treat personal possession and cultivation as lowest priority.” The task force also encourages expungement for those previously convicted for simple possession.

Phase two would launch the introduction of psilocybin with medical oversight in clinical settings. Phase three would usher in “full operation and expansion” of psilocybin, which would activate commercial sales and evaluate readiness to expand out to other natural psychedelic substances outside of psilocybin.

An independent report conducted by Johns Hopkins University researchers included in the task force’s study noted while research for therapeutic uses have been promising, there are still potential harms that come with use of natural psychedelics if not handled properly.

This is especially the case when natural psychedelics are used without professional guidance, which can result in adverse psychological reactions, dangerous substance interactions, or acute toxicity, according to the Hopkins report.

“Even though serotonergic psychedelics appear to have low abuse potential, their risks outside carefully controlled trials are not well understood,” it says. “As recreational use has increased, adult emergency department visits related to psychedelic use and poison control centers related to psychedelic use by both adolescents and adults have also increased.”

The state task force also acknowledges those challenges, but called research on natural psychedelics “one of the most rapidly evolving areas of modern medicine.”

“Results are highly promising, but still preliminary, with a strong focus on addressing conditions that are resistant to conventional treatments,” it says.

But even supporters like Guzzone believe that recreational use of psilocybin and other natural psychedelics is a long ways off. Even creating policy around medical and therapeutic use will take time and it’s important to “not jump the gun.”

The state must “Make sure everybody is on board in a bunch of different ways, including with regard to education, of the public establishment of procedures and guidelines on the sort of more standard medical side,” she said. “But also be respectful of traditional uses of this, because from a Native American point, these substances have been used for hundreds of years.

“There will be a lot of work to do, and I don’t think anyone needs to panic that come the end of session we’re suddenly going to have full-blown psilocybin availability,” she said. “My guess is that this will take several years.”