California Joins Growing List of States Reevaluating the Legal Status of Psychedelic Substances

LOS ANGELES– In a significant legislative move, California lawmakers have granted final approval to a bill that seeks to decriminalize the personal possession and use of psilocybin mushrooms and several other plant-based psychedelics, including DMT and mescaline, for individuals aged 21 and over. The bill, which passed with a 21-3-6 vote, is now awaiting the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom to become law.

This legislation also mandates the California Health and Human Services Agency to assemble a workgroup tasked with studying and proposing recommendations for the establishment of a regulatory framework governing the therapeutic use of these substances. The workgroup is expected to submit a detailed report with its findings and suggestions to the legislature by January 1, 2025, as per the bill’s provisions.

This move by California is in line with a growing trend across the United States, where several states and cities have initiated reforms to decriminalize the possession of psychedelic plants and fungi, shifting focus towards exploring their potential therapeutic benefits.

In November 2022, Colorado followed suit, with voters approving a ballot measure to not only decriminalize the personal possession of psychedelic plants and fungi but also to establish a regulated therapy system facilitating therapeutic access to these substances. This decision echoed Oregon’s 2020 resolution, where voters opted to decriminalize the possession of all drugs, including psychedelics, and to set up a regulated psilocybin therapy system.

Furthermore, the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., witnessed a substantial majority of voters, 76% to be precise, giving the green light to a measure aimed at decriminalizing and deprioritizing the possession and use of psychedelic plants and fungi in 2020.

At a municipal level, several cities have already taken steps to lessen the enforcement of laws surrounding the possession and use of psychedelic plants and fungi. City councils in Oakland, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco have passed resolutions to deprioritize enforcement, effectively decriminalizing these substances in their jurisdictions. Similarly, since June 2019, the cities of Ann Arbor in Michigan, along with Somerville and Cambridge in Massachusetts, have enacted local laws decriminalizing the possession and use of psychedelic plants and fungi.

As the landscape of drug regulation continues to evolve, it appears that a growing number of jurisdictions are exploring the potential benefits of these substances, potentially paving the way for a new era in therapeutic options and treatments.