Psychedelic Substances May Become Legal

California lawmakers are pushing to legalize psychedelic substances for therapeutic purposes for adults over the age of 21 who suffer from mental health conditions and substance addiction.

Individuals would be able to consume hallucinogenic components such as DMT, MDMA, psilocybin and mescaline (excluding peyote) in a controlled setting under the supervision of professional facilitators.

“When paired with therapeutic support, psychedelics show amazing promise for treating conditions that resist other forms of treatment,” said Wiener in the state senate press release for SB 1012.

The press release cited the U.S Journal Psychopharmacology finding that psilocybin use, the psychedelic component of some mushrooms, had a 27% reduction in continued opioid abuse in a study among 44,000 American participants.

The bill would create the Board of Psychedelic Facilitators under the Department of Consumer Affairs to license and regulate professionals in psychedelic therapy who can only use approved substances from licensed entities.

A public-private fund would be established to support public education programs aimed at reducing the stigma around psychedelics and providing information on their safe and effective use.

The 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimates that 22.8% of all American adults aged 18 and older have any mental illness or AMI, and 5.5% of all American adults have serious mental illness or SMI.

AMI includes mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders “ranging from no impairment to mild, moderate, and even severe impairment.” SMI results in “serious functional impairment” that interferes with life activities.

Veteran Affairs has expressed interest in psychedelics to treat veterans with mental health conditions, including PTSD.

A study published by StatPearls reports that 14-16% of US troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have been affected by depression or PTSD.

Healthline states that micro-dosing on psilocybin improves mood, boosts energy, and increases concentration. Side effects include numbness, nausea, headaches, body tremors, and more.

Psychedelics can equally result in a “bad trip,” leading to terrifying hallucinations and paranoia.

The bipartisan bill, Senate Bill 1012, was introduced by Democratic Senator Scott Wiener with support from Republican Assemblymember Marie Waldron.

SB 1012 follows Governor Gavin Newsom’s vetoing of SB 58 in Oct. 2023, which would have decriminalized the possession and personal use of certain psychedelics.

In his veto message, Newsom stated that regulated treatment guidelines for psychedelics have to be established before he can consider decriminalizing it.

The guidelines must have therapeutic guidelines, dosing information, measures to prevent exploitation during treatments, and medical clearance for no underlying psychosis.

Newsom, however, expressed his support for “new opportunities to address mental health through psychedelic medicines” backed by peer-reviewed scientific studies proven to relieve medical conditions including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and traumatic brain injury.

Oregon became the first state to decriminalize possession of psilocybin in 2020, with Colorado becoming the second in 2022.

Californian cities San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Oakland, along with Ann Arbor, Michigan, have also decriminalized possession of psilocybin.

According to Weiner, treatments could be available in 2026 or 2027 if the bill is passed sometime this year.