Maine’s legislature this week passed a bill that would create a commission to study the potential regulation of psychedelics for therapeutic use.

The bill now awaits Gov. Janet Mills’ signature, with the deadline to decide right around the corner. According to state law, the governor has 10 days to sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become law without her signature.

The measure was significantly amended from its original version, which sought to legalize psilocybin and allow adults to access it at licensed facilities. Instead, it now calls for the establishment of a 13-member panel to examine the safety and efficacy of psilocybin in treating mental health conditions and to review how other states approached regulating access to psychedelics.

The commission, which would include a diverse array of experts and stakeholders, would be tasked with making recommendations to the legislature on how Maine could create a legal framework for the therapeutic use of psychedelic substances. The panel would be required to submit its report by Nov. 6.

Those in the legislature who support wider drug reform and psychedelic therapy expressed disappointment that the bill was watered down in committee, hoping for swifter action on providing legal access to these substances, Marijuana Moment reported.

The original bill aimed to establish a regulated system for the administration of psilocybin by licensed facilitators to treat mental health conditions, particularly in veterans and first responders.

However, law enforcement groups opposed that version, arguing that allowing personal use of another controlled substance while still dealing with cannabis legalization would create additional challenges.

“We do not take any position on the clinical and therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, but we do not think that there is enough information out there for the public to begin to safely consume it without guidance of a medical professional,” Charles Rumsey, president of the Maine Chiefs of Police Association, wrote in testimony opposing the original measure, the Longview News-Journal first reported.

Still, Maine’s move to explore psychedelic regulation reflects a growing national trend, with several states, including Colorado and Oregon, having already legalized or decriminalized certain psychedelics for therapeutic purposes and others considering similar measures.