Michael G. Smith Jr., a retired sergeant first class with the U.S. Army, looks on as state Rep. Mike McFall, D-Hazel Park, introduces a proposal June 25 that would decriminalize the use of psilocybin for individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
By: Andy Kozlowski | Madison-Park News | Published July 21, 2025
HAZEL PARK — A proposal by state Rep. Mike McFall aims to decriminalize possession of the psychedelic drug psilocybin for people who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
McFall, D-Hazel Park, the city’s former mayor pro tem, unveiled House Bill 4686 at a press conference June 25. He was accompanied by Michael G. Smith Jr., a retired sergeant first class with the U.S. Army.
The military veteran said that psilocybin could dramatically improve the quality of life for those with PTSD — and even save lives.
“As a veteran with PTSD, I am encouraged by the legislative efforts to decriminalize psilocybin since it has been clinically proven to mitigate and eliminate the symptomatology related to PTSD,” Smith said during the conference.
“This is important considering the vast field of studies over 25 years that identify that PTSD can lead to coronary vascular diseases, atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter,” he said. “There is an awesome opportunity to prevent veterans from developing life-threatening heart conditions with the treatment of psilocybin.”
Psilocybin is one of numerous psychedelics that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has begun researching as a potential treatment for veterans with PTSD.
Preliminary research suggests that more than 80% of the veterans in the study experienced improvements in their symptoms after just a single psychedelic program, according to a report by the Heroic Hearts Project.
At the local level, Hazel Park decriminalized psychedelics in 2022 when McFall still served on the council, making Hazel Park the third city in Michigan to decriminalize psychedelics, preceded by Ann Arbor and Detroit. Ferndale followed in 2023. Psychedelics remain a controlled substance at the federal level.
“I am concerned that we aren’t using every tool we have to help people with PTSD live productive lives — especially our veterans with PTSD,” McFall said in a follow-up interview. “My concern is stopping veterans from ending up homeless, addicted to harmful drugs and alcohol. My biggest concern is that we aren’t doing everything we can to prevent veterans from killing themselves when they have lost all hope. We have a tool that can help, and people shouldn’t fear getting arrested for using a plant-based treatment to improve their lives.”
Hazel Park City Councilman Luke Londo helped spearhead the city’s own decriminalization of psychedelics. He praised McFall, his former colleague on the council.
“I don’t know that there is a legislator in Lansing more dedicated to improving mental health outcomes than Rep. McFall,” Londo said. “It was a huge platform of his campaign, and it is a huge aspect of his work in Lansing. He is always looking for ways to improve mental health, and when it comes to different populations, I’m hard-pressed to think of one more vulnerable than our veterans suffering from PTSD. This is going to be a godsend for a lot of people who have served our nation.”
Madison Heights City Councilman Sean Fleming is a past Veterans of Foreign Wars post commander and a veteran who served with the Signal Corps in the U.S. Army during Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia and Croatia. He said he supports McFall’s proposal.
“To be clear, I don’t support psychedelics for recreational use, but this proposal is purely for medicinal use,” Fleming said. “I have (veteran) friends who were affected by PTSD, and I’ve lost a friend to suicide caused by it after he served in Afghanistan. So, I really think that any approved treatment by the VA shouldn’t be illegal for those veterans who need it. I know people who have used this treatment, and it has helped them. Anything that helps out my fellow veterans is worth it.”