Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill that would have legalized the creation of therapy centers that use magic mushrooms to treat mental health conditions.
The bill would have directed the Arizona Department of Health Services to begin licensing psilocybin therapy centers beginning in January 2026.
Sen. T.J. Shope, the bill’s sponsor, told lawmakers earlier this year that the therapy could provide new avenues to treat individuals facing mental health issues, especially veterans and first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"There is a desire to explore what PTSD looks like, what treatment for PTSD looks like, other than what is already readily available to Arizonans," said Shope.
In a veto letter, Hobbs wrote that the state’s psilocybin research board recently concluded that it does not yet have enough evidence to support the widespread use of the psychedelic.
The budget signed by Hobbs on Tuesday continued $5 million in state funding for psilocybin research first included in last year’s state budget.
