California lawmakers approved a bill to decriminalize possession and personal use of certain natural psychedelics, including psilocybin, or magic mushrooms.

California lawmakers on Thursday narrowly approved a bill supported by veterans and criminal justice reform advocates to decriminalize the possession and personal use of a limited list of natural psychedelics, including “magic mushrooms.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom will now decide the fate of Senate Bill 58, which would remove criminal penalties for the possession and use of psilocybin and psilocin, the active ingredients in psychedelic mushrooms, mescaline and dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, known as ayahuasca. The bill also would require the California Health and Human Services Agency to study the therapeutic use of psychedelics and submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the Legislature.

  • ArcRay@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    1·
    3 years ago

    I’m a little disappointed that the appropriations committee required further studies before it goes into effect. Originally it was supposed to be effective immediately, but now it doesn’t start till January of 2025.

    Either way, this is great news for so many people struggling with mental health conditions. Really happy to see it. I’m thinking this transition will happen a lot faster than marijuana.

    One note of caution, Gavin Newsom has refused to comment on this bill so far. No one really knows where he stands and so he could veto it. We just don’t know.

  • littlewonder@lemmy.world
    0·
    3 years ago

    Sure hope there’s going to be education available alongside the psychedelics for sale acquisition. It’ll help people learn about set and setting, etc., but most importantly, education and prep will mean less bad trips and less idiots running their mouths to the anti-drug crowd.

    • Spacemanspliff@midwest.socialEnglish
      1·
      3 years ago

      So this isn’t aimed at allowing the sale yet. This is just to remove the penalty of possession, this is the first step in being able to do studies on micro doses and therapeutic levels. And yes mushroom shops.

      • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
        1·
        3 years ago

        Comically enough possession of Psychedelic mushrooms isn’t a charge in Florida. They had a ruling a while back that stated a standard person wouldn’t know how to tell the difference between a mushroom that was and was not containing psychedelic properties. Thus it is illegal to sell, deliver or etc but if you have a zip loc bag of a few mushrooms in your pocket they in theory would have to let you go because they would have to prove your mushroom swiss burger was intended to get you high vs just being enjoyable. Now if you have 10 1 oz bags of mushrooms, you will have a hard time arguing you didn’t have intent to sell.

      • littlewonder@lemmy.world
        1·
        3 years ago

        You haven’t heard anti-drug people cite anecdotal stories as a reason to continue the war on drugs?

        People who misuse or misunderstand a drug, take too much, or mix it with other substances are the D.A.R.E. crowd’s favorite thing to point as supporting evidence.

        Example: Take a small dose of PCP or a simulant, it can be fine for someone knowing the risks and weighing them against their needs. Take too much of PCP (and be predisposed to violence) and you’ll end up doing crimes, or in the hospital for serotonin syndrome.

        So let’s say violent Vince takes too much of a drug and ends up assaulting people on the street. He ends up in the news and we all get to hear forever about why PCP turns anyone who tries it into an invincible cannibal zombie.

        Does that make more sense?

        Note: I’m not arguing for the legality of PCP.