Gov. Spencer Cox Signs Utah’s H.B. 390 Into Law, Authorizing Psychedelic Research for Veterans With PTSD

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed H.B. 390 into law on March 19, authorizing a tightly regulated clinical study of psychedelic-assisted therapy for veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. The law is not legalization or decriminalization. It creates an institution-based research pathway within a mainstream medical setting, centered on federal research requirements, FDA oversight via an Investigational New Drug application, DEA Schedule I research registration, and Institutional Review Board approval. H.B. 390 defines eligible participants as treatment-resistant PTSD veterans and names MDMA, psilocybin, and 5-MeO-DMT as qualifying investigational psychedelic drugs. It also specifies clinical definitions for psychedelic-assisted therapy, including controlled administration plus manualized, trauma-informed preparatory and integrative psychotherapy, and requires detailed protocol and reporting requirements, with the clinical provisions sunsetting July 1, 2032.