The bill was passed Monday, May 31, and will now go to the House Of Representatives
California took a step forward this week in regard to approving the legal possession of psychedelics as the California state Senate passed SB 519 (a bill legalizing possession of psychedelics) on a 21-16 vote this past Monday, May 31. So far, the bill has already cleared three separate committees, and according to Courthouse News Service, “has a decent chance of passing the House.” If the bill passes the California House of Representatives, it will reach the eyes of California Governor Gavin Newsom who will have the final say.
If passed by Governor Newsom, possession of psychedelics including LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, DMT, and MDMA would be decriminalized. California State Senator, Scott Weiner, had the following to say about the recent bill passing,
It’s time to move away from failed drug criminalization policies and toward a science- and health-based approach. Psychedelics show great promise in helping people deal with complex trauma, depression, anxiety, and addiction.”
Although the California state Senate passed a bill to legalize the possession of psychedelics, the bill still has a long way to go before it is fully approved. If the bill does become fully approved, the bill would not decriminalize the sale of psychedelics in the state of California, meaning, you cannot sell psychedelics yourself.
Denver became the first U.S. city to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms back in 2019 which was followed by the approval of psilocybin mushrooms in three cities in Massachusetts. Additionally, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Washington D.C. have “legalized the personal use of plant or fungi-based psychedelics,” as reported by Courthouse News Service.
For more information about California’s efforts to legalize the possession of psychedelics, click here.
H/T – Court House News Service
