1. What the law is
Iowa's medical psilocybin bill cleared the House and then ran out of session. House File 978 would have created a regulated program for PTSD patients, and it never reached a Senate floor vote. An earlier bill would have allowed prescriptions of FDA-approved synthetic psilocybin; it passed both chambers and the Governor vetoed it. Nothing was enacted, so the prohibition stands.
Chapter 124 of the Iowa Code carries the state's controlled substances schedules, and psilocybin is Schedule I within it. Possession, manufacture and delivery are prohibited statewide, and a possession charge is brought under Iowa Code section 124.401. As of June 2026 no Iowa statute or program authorized medical, therapeutic or supervised use of the substance.
Governor Kim Reynolds' stated reason for the 2025 veto was that the compound should first receive FDA and federal Drug Enforcement Administration approval before Iowa acts. House File 978 died with the 91st General Assembly.
2. Trials in Iowa
Interventional psilocybin trials with at least one site in Iowa, as their sponsors filed them with ClinicalTrials.gov, EU CTIS and ISRCTN. Each row links to the registry record, which sets out who may take part.
Recruiting or opening counts trials recruiting now, not yet recruiting, or enrolling by invitation. Closed counts trials terminated, suspended, withdrawn or left unverified by their sponsors.
| Registry ID | Trial | Phase | Sponsor | Status | Start date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT06405607 | Psilocybin or Ketamine for Alcohol Use Disorder: An Active Comparator Trial (opens in new tab)Recruiting at University of Iowa Health Care, Iowa City | Phase Phase 2 | Sponsor University of Iowa | Status Recruiting | Start date |
| NCT05421065 | Psilocybin-Assisted vs Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Alcohol Use Disorder (opens in new tab)Site at University of Iowa, Iowa City | Phase Phase 2 | Sponsor Peggy C Nopoulos | Status Active, not recruiting | Start date |
ClinicalTrials.gov data courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
3. History
The legal events behind this entry, dated and oldest first. Our own reviews and corrections are listed under Changes to this record.
House File 383 (FDA-trigger rescheduling of crystalline polymorph psilocybin for prescribing) passes both chambers of the Iowa Legislature.
House File 978 (regulated medical psilocybin program for PTSD patients) passes the Iowa House.
Governor Kim Reynolds vetoes House File 383, citing the need for prior FDA and DEA approval before state rescheduling.
House File 978 advances through Iowa Senate committees but does not reach a floor vote.
The 2026 legislative session adjourns; House File 978 dies with the 91st General Assembly, leaving psilocybin prohibited.
4. Proposed laws
No proposed law is on file in Iowa that would change this entry, as of the 01 Aug 2026 review.
5. Common questions
Is psilocybin legal in Iowa?
No. Psilocybin is a Schedule I controlled substance under the Iowa Uniform Controlled Substances Act (Iowa Code Chapter 124), and possession, manufacture, and delivery are prohibited statewide. No medical or therapeutic exception exists in Iowa law as of June 2026.
Did Iowa pass a medical psilocybin law?
No. House File 978 would have created a regulated medical psilocybin program for PTSD patients and passed the Iowa House in 2025, advancing through Senate committees in March 2026, but the Senate never held a floor vote and the bill died when the 2026 session adjourned in May 2026. It was never enacted and created no legal access.
Why did Governor Reynolds veto the Iowa psilocybin bill?
Governor Kim Reynolds vetoed House File 383 on June 11, 2025. The bill would have rescheduled FDA-approved crystalline polymorph (synthetic) psilocybin to allow prescribing. In her veto message she stated the compound should first be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration before Iowa acts to reschedule it.
What are the penalties for psilocybin possession in Iowa?
Psilocybin possession is prosecuted as a controlled-substance offense under Iowa Code section 124.401. Penalties depend on the offense level and prior history; consult the statute and a licensed Iowa attorney for the penalties applicable to a specific case. This page is a legal-status reference, not legal advice.
Could psilocybin become legal in Iowa in the future?
Possibly, but only if the legislature enacts a new law. The bills that advanced in 2025 and 2026 (House File 383 and House File 978) failed, and sponsors are reported to be considering refiling in 2027. Until a bill is signed into law, psilocybin remains illegal in Iowa.
Are magic mushrooms ("shrooms") legal in Iowa?
"Magic mushrooms" and "shrooms" are common names for fungi that contain psilocybin, and this entry states the law on psilocybin itself, which some laws treat separately from the fungus. Psilocybin is illegal in Iowa.
Read the law
None enacted. HF 978 (medical psilocybin production/administration for PTSD) passed the Iowa House in 2025 and cleared Senate committees in March 2026 but never received a Senate floor vote before the legislature adjourned in May 2026. HF 383 (FDA-trigger prescribing of crystalline polymorph psilocybin) passed both chambers in 2025 and was vetoed by Gov. Reynolds on June 11, 2025.1
Sources
This entry's status is checked against the primary sources below, and the methodology explains how each entry is graded for confidence.
- 1.legis.iowa.gov (opens in new tab) · legis.iowa.gov
- 2.iowacapitaldispatch.com (opens in new tab) · iowacapitaldispatch.com
This entry is for information only and is not legal or medical advice. Laws change, and enforcement can differ from the letter of the law, so check the current position against the primary sources above before relying on it.
Changes to this record
2 changes on file, the latest on . Show allHide
Every change we have made to this record, dated, corrections included. Nothing changes silently.
Iowa's medical psilocybin bill died on the Senate calendar two days before adjournment, after passing the House 84 to 6. Nothing is pending.
Both of Iowa's psilocybin bills failed, one by veto in 2025 and one for want of a Senate vote in May 2026. With nothing enacted, the entry was corrected from mixed to illegal.
Psilocybin Media Group. "Iowa: psilocybin legal status." The Psilocybin Record, accession US-IA-001, version of 23 Aug 2026. https://psilocybinlegalization.com/record/iowa