Casey Means on Psychedelics for the General Public: warns against

At her February 25, 2026 Senate hearing, Sen. Susan Collins noted that Dr. Casey Means had touted therapeutic use of psychedelic mushrooms in her book and tried them herself, according to AP reporting. Means replied that what she says as a private citizen differs from what she would recommend as a public health official, and that she would not recommend psychedelics for the public.

The exchange is notable for the distinction Means herself drew: private-citizen exploration versus public-health recommendation. Her stated position at the hearing is a warning in the official sense — she would not recommend psychedelics for the general public from a Surgeon General’s office — even as her book discusses therapeutic use in a private context.

What Means says

• Means said she would not recommend psychedelics for the public as a public health official.
• Means distinguished between what she says as a private citizen and what she would recommend in an official role.

All claims above are attributed to Means, drawn from AP reporting on her Senate hearing; they are presented as her stated position, not established fact.

This page chronicles a stated position of the person above. It is not medical advice and not the site's own conclusion.