The State Government of California just passed Bill SB-519 last Tuesday. This amendment accordingly decriminalizes the possession of multiple psychedelics within the state of California. This includes MDMA, ketamine, LSD, and mushrooms.
This is a big step forward for the state, but it’s not as simple as legalization. The exact intentions that moved Bill SB-519 to majority approval were indeed necessary and considerably medicinal in nature. This article will go over the ins-and-outs of what a citizen of Cali can do legally.
Recreational Adult Use
Bill SB-519 was introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener, and has been in limbo since February. This new legislation decriminalizes adult (21+) possession, use, processing, and social sharing of the following substances:
- Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
- Ketamine
- Ibogaine
- Mescaline
- Psilocybin (Mushrooms)
- Psilocyn
- Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)
- 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)
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So as a resident of the state of California, you are now clear to be in possession of these substances and relevant paraphernalia. However, selling them commercially is still highly illegal. As mentioned before, this bill is in line with the intent of recognizing the therapeutic potential of these substances.
The possession of these substances on school grounds, and the sharing of them with individuals below the age of 21, is also still very much illegal. Don’t give mushrooms to the kids, folks.
Additionally, therapeutic clinics and medical professionals are now permitted to prescribe doses of these given substances. Medically speaking, they are now on the same legal level as cannabidiol (CBD).
Image via @entheocurean on Instagram
Bill SB-519
Transforming California’s psychedelic decriminalization into reality is clearly not an easy task. Within its passages, there are many paragraphs worth of proposals which have been removed and marked red. Upon closer examination, you can see what really ticks people who were initially against the proposal:
“The bill [also provides] for the dismissal and sealing of pending and prior convictions for offenses that would be made lawful by the passage of this bill, as specified. The bill would require the Department of Justice to identify those records and provide them to local jurisdictions to initiate the required proceedings.” -Rejected passage within Bill SB-519
Section 1 of the amendment reads as follows:
“The War on Drugs has entailed overwhelming financial and societal costs, and the policy behind it does not reflect a modern understanding of substance use nor does it accurately reflect the potential therapeutic benefits or harms of various substances…”
“…Criminalization has not deterred drug use, and has instead made drug use less safe. It has created an unregulated underground market in which difficult-to-verify dosages and the presence of adulterants, including fentanyl, make the illicit drug supply dangerous.”
So it’s clear a main facet of the original proposal was to reverse the damages of the War on Drugs. However, Sections 11356.8, 11356.9, 11382.8 and 11382.9, all of which deal with retributions for people previously/currently convicted for the possession of the newly decriminalized psychoactive substances, have been omitted likely out of compromise.
The Road To Legal Mushrooms: A Brief History Of Psychedelics In America
While it cannot be said with absolute certainty why some representatives are truly against these sections, we can infer broader reasoning. It likely has to do with both the sheer amount of proceeding legal operations these sections would entail, and the time/money expenses that would be associated with them.
Nonetheless, this new amendment is nothing short of a step toward a more progressive Californian society that is placing more trust into (ideally) responsible and mature individuals. Additionally, if you would like to read the full bill, you can find it at the link below:
