On April 10, 2025, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Medical Psilocybin Act into law. This makes New Mexico the third state in the U.S. to legalize psilocybin—the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms”—for therapeutic use. The new law reflects a growing demand for psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat mental health conditions.
What Is the New Mexico Medical Psilocybin Act?
The newly passed act, Senate Bill 219, creates a regulated framework for the medical use of psilocybin. The goal of the legislation is to “allow the beneficial use of psilocybin in a regulated system for alleviating qualified medical conditions.”
Approved Conditions for Psilocybin Treatment in New Mexico
Under the act, qualifying conditions for psilocybin treatment include:
- Treatment-resistant depression (TRD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Substance use disorders
- End-of-life anxiety and depression
The New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) will oversee the implementation of this program, including future additions to the list of qualifying conditions.
New Mexico Medical Psilocybin Advisory Board
The law also establishes a nine-member Medical Psilocybin Advisory Board. Appointed by the Secretary of Health, this board will include professionals with expertise in behavioral health and community advocacy. It will consist of a representative for Native American residents and veterans, among others. The board will have the authority to recommend other uses for psilocybin therapy beyond the listed conditions, which could include things like anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Psilocybin Therapy in New Mexico: How It Will Work
Only Natural Psilocybin Mushrooms Allowed
Under the New Mexico psychedelics law, synthetic psilocybin and its analogs are banned. All psilocybin used must be naturally derived from psychedelic mushrooms. The DOH will license producers to grow mushrooms and process psilocybin to use in therapy.
Licensed Treatment Settings Only
All psilocybin-assisted therapy sessions must take place in DOH-approved facilities. This ruling is similar to Oregon and Colorado, where centers must be approved by a state-led psilocybin program in order to administer the medicine. Clinicians administering psilocybin under SB219 will also undergo a training program established by the DOH.
What Does a Psilocybin Therapy Session Involve?
Treatment will follow a three-part process:
Accessibility and Equity: Making Psilocybin Therapy Affordable
The act includes a psilocybin equity fund to help cover treatment costs for low-income individuals. This is a significant step toward making psychedelic therapy accessible to underserved communities, which have historically had limited access to mental health care.
Psilocybin Therapy Research and Benefits
A growing body of research supports the mental health benefits of psilocybin for a wide variety of different mental health disorders. Unlike traditional medication, psilocybin often leads to long-lasting improvements after just one or two sessions. In a long-term study on psilocybin for depression, 75% of participants still showed a meaningful reduction in symptoms one year after treatment, and 58% maintained remission.
Psilocybin can also help patients who haven’t responded to traditional treatments. It works differently from standard antidepressants, and many people report that psilocybin allows them to “get to the root” of their trauma.
However, psilocybin is not without risks. Some individuals have experienced manic episodes, psychosis-like symptoms, or worsened symptoms following psilocybin, even when used in a clinical setting.
Timeline: When Will Psilocybin Therapy Be Available in New Mexico?
The Medical Psilocybin Advisory Board will now begin drafting rules for:
- Licensing psilocybin providers
- Certifying treatment centers
- Approving psilocybin cultivation operations
It’s estimated that the first legal psilocybin therapy sessions in New Mexico could begin by March 2028.
Why Psilocybin Therapy Could Change Mental Health Care in the U.S.
The legalization of medical psilocybin in New Mexico marks a major milestone in the global conversation around psychedelic medicine. It signals growing momentum in the U.S., where a few states have already begun to embrace similar reforms. Oregon was the first, launching its psilocybin services program in 2023.
The program allows for the supervised use of psilocybin for personal growth and mental health support. Colorado followed with its own framework, approved by voters in 2022 and now in the early stages of implementation. Both states have focused on regulated, therapeutic access with trained facilitators and licensed service centers.
With New Mexico joining this small but growing group, the U.S. may be entering a new era of mental health care—one that emphasizes healing the root causes of trauma rather than simply managing symptoms. Under the new Trump administration, it’s possible that legal psilocybin on a federal level could be on the horizon.
