Two California lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill Tuesday that would allow people 21 and older to consume psychedelic mushrooms under professional supervision as part of an agenda to tackle the state’s mental health and substance use crises. did.
This comes after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom last year vetoed a bill that would have decriminalized the possession and personal use of several plant-based hallucinogens, including psychedelic mushrooms. A proposal by Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener passed Congress for the first time after years of stagnation. Newsom, who championed marijuana legalization in 2016, called on lawmakers to work on developing treatment guidelines and regulations in his veto message.
Currently, Weiner is working with Republican Rep. Marie Waldron on a proposal to have participants ingest psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, under the supervision of a licensed therapist. The bill would also include dimethyltryptamine (DMT), MDMA, and mescaline.
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Colorado and Oregon have already decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms and established regulatory systems for the therapeutic use of the substances. California, San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Cruz have effectively decriminalized the possession of psychedelic mushrooms, which means that people who possess limited quantities of the plant-based hallucinogen cannot be arrested or prosecuted. means that it cannot be done.
“We know Californians are struggling with mental health and addiction issues, and psychedelics, especially when combined with therapeutic support, are a powerful tool to help people regain health,” Wiener said at a press conference Monday. I know it can be a powerful tool.” “We know that California’s veterans and first responders particularly benefit from these substances, and we know that many more people can benefit as well.”
Waldron, who has introduced a separate bill to study the use of psychedelic therapy, said the bipartisan bill is consistent with Newsom’s vision by creating safeguards around psychedelic therapy. You will need to undergo a comprehensive screening and follow-up evaluation to determine if you are suitable to take psychedelics for treatment.
A vendor packages psilocybin mushrooms at a cannabis market in Los Angeles on May 24, 2019. A new bill will be introduced in California on February 6, 2024 that would allow the consumption of psychedelic mushrooms under professional supervision. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
The bill would also shift the state’s response to mental health crises away from criminalization and punishment, Waldron said.
Wiener said California already has a “large network” of underground therapists offering psychedelic therapy. He added that the bill would “bring it above ground” through a new state licensing board that would regulate the service.
The law does not allow personal possession or use. This means customers cannot take the material home with them. The drug remains illegal under federal law. Wiener said he doesn’t want to wait for federal action and, similar to previous efforts to legalize the therapeutic use of cannabis to treat cancer and HIV, states that state legislatures would not allow such regulated psychedelic use. He said there is a possibility that it will be approved.
Touted as a mind-altering drug in the 1960s, psychedelic mushrooms have been used in religious or spiritual practices in some cultures for centuries, perhaps even millennia. . Some researchers believe that psilocybin and other drugs hold promise in treating depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The Food and Drug Administration designated psilocybin as a “breakthrough therapy” in 2018 and last year released draft guidance for researchers planning clinical trials of the psychedelic drug.
The bill is sponsored by the Heroic Hearts Project, a nonprofit organization that works with veterans to overcome trauma. Juliana Mercer, a Marine Corps veteran and director of the Heroic Hearts Project, said she uses psychedelics to manage her PTSD through a program outside the United States. Her organization recently sent a group of veterans to Oregon for regulated psilocybin use.
“Through education and regulation, we can move people away from underground operations, which may be unsafe, to places where they can operate safely,” Mercer said.
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This allows them to “access the healing they deserve without fear of negative consequences,” she added.
The California Psychedelic Safety and Education Coalition, which opposed psychedelic decriminalization measures last year, also joined this year to support the bipartisan bill. The group’s executive director, Susan Sagy, described it as an approach that “balances the potential benefits of treatment with the potential risks to public health.”
Supporters of the bill estimate that if it becomes law, the program would take 18 to 24 months to implement. The bill would also create educational programs to reduce stigma against psychedelics.
