NC veterans push state lawmakers for access to psychedelic therapy
SCANNERS FOR VOLUNTEERS AND
STAFF THAT TECHNOLOGY GOT ITS
FIRST RUN LAST YEAR HERE IN
PINEHURST VETERANS AND
ADVOCATES CAME TO RALEIGH THIS
WEEK TO PUSH FOR MORE ACCESS
TO PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY FOR
PTSD, SPECIFICALLY. THEY SAY
THE FDA COULD SOON APPROVE
MDMA, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
ECSTASY AND OTHER DRUGS AS
BREAKTHROUGH THERAPIES AND THEY
WANT THE STATE TO BE READY TO
AUTHORIZE IT. HERE.
>> WRAL'S CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF
LAURA LESLIE IS JOINING US LIVE
IN THE STATE LEGISLATIVE
BUILDING WITH ONE VETERAN
STORY. MORRIS.
>> AS A WORLD-CLASS WRESTLER
AND ALSO AN ARMY ACTIVE COMBAT
VETERAN. SALLY ROBERTS KNOWS A
LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT HOW TO
PUT UP A FIGHT. BUT SHE NEARLY
LOST HER BATTLE WITH PTSD.
SHE SAYS SECOND, A LOOK.
ASSISTED THERAPY SAVED HER LIFE
AND SHE WANTS LAWMAKERS TO HELP
HER BRING IT HOME HERE TO NORTH
CAROLINA.
>> I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO GO.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHO TO TALK TO.
ARMY VETERAN SALLY ROBERTS.
PTSD WAS GETTING WORSE THERAPY
DIDN'T HELP. NEITHER DID THE V
A'S STANDARD COCKTAIL OF
MEDICATIONS FOR ODD. AT FIRST
IT FELT LIKE I WAS ON ROCKET
BOOSTERS AND I COULD ACHIEVE
EVERYTHING. AND I WAS THIS
SUPER WOMAN AND EVENTUALLY THE
ROCKET RAN OUT OF GAS. AND I
HAD AN EPIC IMPLOSION, A FRIEND
SUGGESTED PSYCHEDELIC ASSISTED
THERAPY. ROBERTS WENT TO MEXICO
FOR TREATMENT WITH IBOGAINE A
LOOSE IN A GYM THAT'S NOT LEGAL
IN THE U.S. SHE SAYS IT CHANGED
EVERYTHING. ABSOLUTELY SAVED MY
LIFE. I HAD MADE THE DECISION
THAT IF FOR ANY REASON I WENT
DOWN TO MEXICO FOR IBOGAINE
AND IT DID NOT WORK THAT I WAS
NOT GOING TO COME BACK ALIVE
BECAUSE I COULD NO LONGER LIVE
IN THE STATE OF DESPAIR THAT I
WAS IN. ROBERTS IS NOW AN
ADVOCATE FOR PSYCHEDELIC
ASSISTED THERAPY. ONE OF MANY
WHO CAME TO THE LEGISLATURE
THIS WEEK TO ASK STATE
LAWMAKERS FOR HELP FOR VETERANS
AND OTHERS SUFFERING FROM
TRAUMA.
>> AN ESTIMATED 182 VETERANS
COMMIT SUICIDE EVERY YEAR IN
NORTH CAROLINA ALONE SAYS
SENATOR SOVIET SHED LIKE WE
DON'T HAVE PERFECT NUMBERS ON
THAT.
>> I WOULD ARGUE THAT EVERY
SINGLE ONE OF THOSE IS A
PREVENTABLE TRAGEDY. GILLETTE
SAID NORTH CAROLINA HAS THE
HIGHEST NUMBER OF VETERANS PER
CAPITA IN THE COUNTRY SO WE
SHOULD BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF
RESEARCH INTO THESE DRUGS WHEN
THEY WIN FDA APPROVAL. SO
VETERANS HERE CAN BE TREATED
CLOSE TO HOME BECAUSE WE HAVE
WORLD-CLASS UNIVERSITIES LIKE
UNC, NC STATE AND DUKE, OF
COURSE, WHICH IN MY DISTRICT
WE HAVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IN
THE CITY OF MEDICINE AND BEYOND
TO BE THE LEADING RESEARCHERS
ON THIS TOPIC.
>> NOW WE'VE ADVOCATES SAY THAT
MDMA OR ECSTASY MAY BE APPROVED
BY THE FDA AS A BREAKTHROUGH
THERAPY BY THE END OF THE YEAR
TO LIKE A SPONSOR OF THE BILL
TO CREATE A STATE TASK FORCE
OF EXPERTS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
EXACTLY NORTH CAROLINA WOULD
HAVE TO DO TO GET THOSE
THERAPIES AVAILABLE TO THE
PUBLIC. OTHER STATES THAT ARE
THAT ARE ALSO TAKING ACTION ON