I have cared for patients and had people in my life personally who have been affected by incurable cancer and utilized psilocybin as a helpful therapeutic tool in making peace with their life limiting illness find meaning in their life in ways they were incapable of doing with psychotropic medications and psychotherapy. As a palliative care and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner in Utah and the intermountain west, I care for countless patients living with a devastating cancer diagnosis, struggling with debilitating mental health disorders, and facing their mortality on a daily basis. The ability to not only study and provide psychedelic medicinals in a way that have already been demonstrated to improve outcomes, enhance dignity and meaning, and increase quality of life for people in similar circumstances, is a no-brainer. I prescribe medications every day with more potential side effects, adverse reactions, and safety concerns and this would greatly improve my toolbox of options to help patients, which is my number one priority.
-R.M.