The Ohio State University in Columbus is the first U.S. university awarded a license by the Drug Enforcement Agency to grow psilocybin mushrooms, The Columbus Dispatch reported May 10.
The DEA license allows the university and mental health and wellness research and development company Inner State to cultivate psilocybin mushrooms strictly for research purposes, the report said. Researchers will study the mental health treatment capabilities of naturally grown psychedelic mushrooms.
Oregon's vote to become the first state to allow adult recreational use of psilocybin mushrooms in 2020 ignited investment of millions of dollars in psilocybin research, the report said. Research suggests psilocybin could treat mental health issues including PTSD, depression, anxiety and addiction.