WATCH: Susan Collins Quizzes Surgeon General Nominee Casey Means on Past Shrooms Use

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) dug into Surgeon General nominee Casey Means’ past use of psychedelic mushrooms on Wednesday as the latter faced a grilling from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Collins, referencing Means’ 2024 book, “Good Energy,” read out a passage in which an “internal voice” whispered to Means, “It’s time to prepare,” inspiring her to try psychedelics.

Saying that “illicit drug use remains a huge problem in this country,” Collins implored Means to explain how she would approach the topic should she become the next surgeon general.

“According to your book, in 2021, you began using illicit psychedelic mushrooms. So, my questions to you are two-fold. One, do you stand by what you said in your book, encouraging people to try psychedelics? And second, as surgeon general, should you be confirmed, how would you speak to the American people about the use of illicit drugs?” Collins asked.

“This is a very important question,” Means replied, adding that “I believe what I would say as a private citizen is in many cases different than what I would say as a public health official. Joining a team where the purpose of this role is to communicate absolutely the best evidence-based science to the American people to keep them safe, thriving, and healthy.”

She added:

When it comes to psychedelic therapy for mental health issues, I think the science is still emerging, and so it would certainly not be a recommendation to the American people to do that under no circumstances. I do believe that there is exciting work being done in this area that needs to continue on psychedelic therapies for PTSD and veterans for mental health issues and some of the researchers who are doing this work have said it’s some the most promising exciting in their careers, but to be very clear there is no way I would recommend that to the American people in this role. Our illicit drug use problem in this country is monumental and severe, and I look forward to working with you on these issues that are so important.

Collins then asked what Means meant when she wrote about the “internal voice” that instructed her, “It’s time to prepare.”

“In that passage of the book, I’m referring to my mother’s passing, which happened- she got a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer about a week after that experience, and in my meditations and prayers at that time, I was having a deep sense that something ominous was coming, and so that’s what that’s referring to.”

Means finally faced the Senate panel on Wednesday after her original hearing, slated for last October, was delayed when she went into labor on the day it was set to begin.

President Donald Trump nominated Means for the role in May after withdrawing his original pick, Janette Nesheiwat.

Watch above via C-SPAN.

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