Vermont and Nevada have added themselves to the list of at least 11 other states that seek to either legalize or decriminalize the adult use of psychedelic mushrooms.
On March 23, the Nevada Senate Health and Human Services committee heard SB 242 but took no action. The bill would legalize possession and use of up to four ounces of psilocybin or psilocin mushrooms for adults 18 and older.
The bill also authorizes studies, approved by the state Department of Health and Human Services, of psilocybin and MDMA for mental health treatments. Adults 18 and older can legally use those drugs within the course of the study.
In Vermont, legislators introduced three decriminalization bills in the last month:
Pointing to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ ongoing research and other studies on the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, H.371/S.114 would remove criminal penalties for possession of psilocybin. It would also establish the Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group to examine psychedelics and provide recommendations for a program similar to those in Connecticut, Colorado and Oregon to allow healthcare professionals to administer psychedelics in a therapeutic setting.
H.439 would go a step further by decriminalizing chemical compounds “found in plants and fungi that are commonly used for medicinal, spiritual, religious, or entheogenic purposes.” These would include peyote, ayahuasca, mescaline, and psilocybin or psilocin.
Going further still, H.423/S.119, would decriminalize the use of all drugs and reduce possession to an infraction subject to a $50 fine, except for marijuana, which is already legal for adult use in the state.
H.423/S.119, introduced by 47 representatives and 11 senators, states how criminal approaches have been proven ineffective in reducing overdoses. “Despite more than 10,000 arrests for drug possession offenses since 2010, fatal drug overdoses have continued to rise during this period.”
The legislation would also establish a Drug Use Standards Advisory Board to determine benchmark dosages and supplies to reduce criminalization, seal criminal history records for past convictions, and allow programs for people to determine the chemical composition or contaminants in a substance they have obtained.
Other states with bills to decriminalize psilocybin or allow for its legal use (in some cases, for medical purposes only) include California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
