ADVOCACY EFFORTS

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A3852/S2283 passed in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature on the last day of the lame duck session, January 12th. Governor Phil Murphy signed it into law on January 20, 2026. 

Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access & Services Act Pilot Program. 

• Clinical   Research Focus: The program is designed as a hospital-based clinical research initiative rather than a broad legalization or decriminalization effort.
• Selected  Institutions: The Department of Health will select three hospitals—one each from the northern, central, and southern regions of New Jersey—to conduct controlled clinical trials.
• Funding: The bill appropriates $6 million from the state's General Fund to support the two-year program ($2 million for each participating hospital).
• Advisory Board: It creates an 11-member Psychedelic Therapy and  Research Advisory Board within the Department of Health to oversee the program, develop safety standards, and review research findings.
• Qualifying  Conditions: The research will focus on the efficacy of psilocybin in treating conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Strict  Controls: All sessions must be supervised by trained professionals following clinical protocols aligned with FDA and DEA regulations. The research will use synthesized psilocybin. 
• Post-Program  Reporting: After the two-year pilot, a final report  with recommendations on whether to expand or implement a statewide medical psilocybin care model must be submitted to the governor and legislature.