Iowa
Psilocybin is illegal in Iowa as of 01 Aug 2026.1
- Corrected and re-checked against 2 cited sources at this review.
1. What the law is
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
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; it passed the House in 2025, advanced through Senate committees in March 2026, and never reached a Senate floor vote before the legislature adjourned in May 2026. An earlier bill, HF 383, would have allowed prescriptions of FDA-approved synthetic psilocybin. It passed both chambers in 2025 and Governor Reynolds 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.
Psilocybin is illegal in Iowa now, and recent legislative activity has not changed that. In 2025, House File 383 sought to reschedule crystalline polymorph (synthetic) psilocybin to permit prescribing if and when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves such a drug; it passed both chambers but was vetoed by Governor Kim Reynolds on June 11, 2025, who stated the compound should first receive FDA and federal Drug Enforcement Administration approval before Iowa acts. A separate measure, House File 978, would have created a regulated medical psilocybin production and administration program for PTSD patients; it passed the Iowa House in 2025 and advanced through Senate committees in March 2026, but the Senate never held a floor vote before the legislature adjourned its 2026 session in May 2026, and the bill died with the 91st General Assembly. Because no bill was enacted, none of this legislative activity creates any current legal access to psilocybin in Iowa; sponsors are reported to be considering refiling in 2027.
2. Pending legislation
No bill is on file in Iowa that would change this record, as of the 01 Aug 2026 review.
3. History
The laws behind today’s status, when each took effect, and every review since, in order.
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.
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.
Iowa's medical psilocybin bill died on the Senate calendar two days before adjournment, after passing the House 84 to 6. Nothing is pending.
4. Trials in Iowa
Interventional psilocybin trials with at least one study site in Iowa, drawn from ClinicalTrials.gov, EU CTIS, and ISRCTN. Registry data is reported by sponsors and shown as filed.
Recruiting, active, completed and closed add up to the 2 trials with a study site in Iowa, as of Aug 2026. Closed covers trials terminated, suspended, withdrawn or left unverified.
| Registry ID | Trial | Phase | Sponsor | Status | Started |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT06405607 (opens in new tab) | 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 | Started |
| NCT05421065 (opens in new tab) | 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 | Started |
ClinicalTrials.gov data courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
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. Psilocybin is illegal in Iowa as of 01 Aug 2026. Some laws control the compound and the fungus separately, so this record states the position for psilocybin in Iowa.
Sources and confidence
Every status line is checked against the primary sources below. How each record is graded for confidence is set out in the methodology.
- 1.legis.iowa.gov (opens in new tab) · legis.iowa.gov
- 2.iowacapitaldispatch.com (opens in new tab) · iowacapitaldispatch.com
Cited at the review
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently, and enforcement practice can differ from the letter of the law. Verify current status with local authorities before relying on this record.
Changes to this record
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.
Iowa: psilocybin legal status. The Psilocybin Record. Accession US-IA-001. Status as of 01 Aug 2026. https://psilocybinlegalization.com/record/iowa
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