Legislature hears proposal to legalize psychedelic mushrooms
OLYMPIA Anyone 21 and older in the state of Washington could gain access to psychedelic mushrooms in 2024 if a proposal being heard in the Legislature passes this session.
Psychedelic mushrooms is a category of more than 200 species of mushrooms that contains the chemical compound psilocybin. The ingestion of psilocybin may produce changes in perception, mood, and cognitive processes common to other psychedelic drugs, according to a nonpartisan bill analysis. It is currently illegal under federal and state law to produce, possess and deliver psychedelic mushrooms.
A Senate bill would direct the Department of Health to create a system allowing for anyone 21 or older to take mushrooms at a state-licensed center under the direct supervision of licensed facilitators. Individuals medically unable to travel to a center may be able to take mushrooms at home.
Prime sponsor Jesse Salomon, D-Shoreline, said he became interested in mushrooms after the Legislature dealt with the effects of the Blake v. State drug possession ruling. Psilocybin is grouped with heroin and meth as some of the most dangerous drugs under the federal Controlled Substances Act. But Salomon said mushrooms and their history as a medicinal product are different from heroin and meth.
Read more: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/feb/04/legislature-hears-proposal-to-legalize-psychedelic/