{"id":73015,"date":"2024-03-06T11:50:32","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T19:50:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/03\/06\/connecticut-lawmakers-consider-psilocybin-decriminalization-bill-in-joint-committee-hearing\/"},"modified":"2024-03-06T19:46:20","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T03:46:20","slug":"connecticut-lawmakers-consider-psilocybin-decriminalization-bill-in-joint-committee-hearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/03\/06\/connecticut-lawmakers-consider-psilocybin-decriminalization-bill-in-joint-committee-hearing\/","title":{"rendered":"Connecticut Lawmakers Consider Psilocybin Decriminalization Bill In Joint Committee Hearing"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Connecticut lawmakers took up a bill in committee on Wednesday that would decriminalize low-level possession of psilocybin<\/a>, despite the governor\u2019s office recently indicating that it has concerns about the psychedelics reform.<\/p>\n

The legislature\u2019s Joint Judiciary Committee considered the proposal, which would make possession of up to one-half an ounce of psilocybin punishable by a $150 fine, without the threat of jail time.<\/p>\n

A second or subsequent violation would carry a fine of at least $200 but not more than $500. A person who pleads guilty or no contest on two separate occasions would be referred to a drug education program.<\/p>\n

Police would be required to seize and destroy any amount of the psychedelic they find under the measure, HB 5297. Possession of more than a half-ounce of psilocybin would be considered a Class A misdemeanor.<\/p>\n

Jess Zaccagnino, policy counsel for the ACLU of Connecticut, told the committee that the organization \u201copposes criminal prohibition of drugs, including psilocybin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only is prohibition a proven failure as a drug control strategy, but it subjects otherwise law-abiding citizens to arrest, prosecution, and incarceration for what they do in private,\u201d she said. \u201cIn trying to enforce the War on Drugs, the government violates the fundamental rights of privacy and personal autonomy guaranteed by our Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Last Prisoner Project (LPP) Executive Director Sarah Gersten told lawmakers that it is \u201cimperative that we eliminate the related criminal penalties and provide retroactive relief for those who have suffered the detrimental consequences of our nation\u2019s failed drug war.\u201d<\/p>\n

While LPP \u201cstrongly supports\u201d the measure, she said, it is also urging the legislature to add provisions to \u201censure that individuals with criminal records for offenses this bill seeks to decriminalize are eligible for record clearance under the same program for cannabis erasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep. Tracy Marra (R) testified in opposition to the legislation<\/a>, saying that Connecticut \u201clacks the resources to assess and regulate psilocybin effectively,\u201d and that such regulations would be better handled by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA).<\/p>\n

\u201cBy letting regulatory processes run their course, we can ensure that if deemed safe and efficacious, psilocybin could offer promising outcomes under controlled measures,\u201d she said. \u201cPremature decriminalization may inadvertently convey to our citizens that psilocybin is safe for casual use, which is misleading based on current knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

The state\u2019s Judicial Branch said it takes \u201cno stance on the policies furthered by the bill\u201d but is asking lawmakers to clarify certain provisions, including on referral to drug education programs for people repeatedly caught with psilocybin.<\/p>\n

Victor Constanza, founder of Connecticut for Accessible Psychedelic Medicine, testified at Wednesday\u2019s hearing, describing his experience managing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol use disorder and borderline personality disorder with psilocybin.<\/p>\n

He also argued that the legislation should additionally decriminalize the home cultivation of psilocybin, noting that the spores of the mushrooms are federally legal<\/a> according to a recent Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) memo.<\/p>\n

An\u00a0earlier version of the psilocybin decriminalization bill passed the House<\/a>\u00a0last year but did not advance in the Senate.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers and activists held an informational forum in January to discuss the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin<\/a>\u00a0and potential pathways to allow for regulated access.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, as the legislation is being considered, the office of Gov. Ned Lamont (D) has signaled that it may face a major barrier to enactment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe governor has concerns about broad decriminalization of mushrooms,\u201d spokesperson David Bednarz\u00a0said in January, noting that at the time it was \u201ca bit too early to speculate\u201d because a 2024 bill had not yet been filed yet.<\/p>\n

As the prior version to decriminalize possession of psilocybin advanced last year, Lamont also reportedly threatened to veto it, despite having championed and signed into law legislation to legalize cannabis in 2021.<\/p>\n

Lamont signed a large-scale budget bill in 2022 that includes provisions to set the state up to\u00a0provide certain patients with access to psychedelic-assisted treatment<\/a>\u00a0using substances like MDMA and psilocybin.<\/p>\n

Prior to that, he also signed separate legislation in 2021 that required the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to\u00a0create a task force to study the therapeutic potential of psilocybin mushrooms<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But broad decriminalization of so-called \u201cmagic mushrooms,\u201d apparently, may be a bridge too far from his perspective.<\/p>\n

Separately, a Connecticut lawmaker also introduced different legislation last session that would have appropriated an unspecified amount of state funds to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for the current fiscal year\u00a0to establish a \u201cpsychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

A growing number of states are pursuing psychedelics reform legislation this session, with a focus on research and therapeutic access.<\/p>\n

For example, on Tuesday a Missouri House committee unanimously approved a bill to legalize the medical use of psilocybin by military veterans<\/a>\u00a0and fund studies exploring the therapeutic potential of the psychedelic.<\/p>\n

A Vermont legislative panel continued its consideration last week of a bill<\/a>\u00a0that would\u00a0legalize psilocybin in the state and establish a work group<\/a>\u00a0on how to further regulate psychedelics for therapeutic use.<\/p>\n

Also last week, the Arizona Senate passed a bipartisan bill that would\u00a0legalize psilocybin service centers where people could receive the psychedelic<\/a>\u00a0in a medically supervised setting.<\/p>\n

The governor of New Mexico recently endorsed a newly enacted resolution\u00a0requesting that state officials research the therapeutic potential of psilocybin<\/a>\u00a0and explore the creation of a regulatory framework to provide access to the psychedelic.<\/p>\n

An Illinois senator\u00a0recently introduced a bill to legalize psilocybin and allow regulated access<\/a>\u00a0at service centers in the state where adults could use the psychedelic in a supervised setting\u2014with plans to expand the program to include mescaline, ibogaine and DMT.<\/p>\n

Alaska House and Senate committees are considering legislation that would create a task force to\u00a0study how to license and regulate psychedelic-assisted therapy<\/a>\u00a0in anticipation of eventual federal legalization of substances like MDMA and psilocybin.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers in Hawaii are also continuing to advance a bill that would\u00a0provide some legal protections to patients engaging in psilocybin-assisted therapy<\/a>\u00a0with a medical professional\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n

New York lawmakers also said that a bill to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy in that state\u00a0has a \u201creal chance\u201d of passing this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

An Indiana House committee, meanwhile,\u00a0approved a Republican-led bill that would fund clinical research trials into psilocybin<\/a>\u00a0that has already cleared the full Senate.<\/p>\n

Bipartisan California lawmakers also recently introduced a bill to legalize psychedelic service centers where adults 21 and older could\u00a0access psilocybin, MDMA, mescaline and DMT in a supervised environment<\/a>\u00a0with trained facilitators.<\/p>\n

A Nevada joint legislative committee held a hearing with\u00a0expert and public testimony on the therapeutic potential of substances like psilocybin<\/a>\u00a0in January. Law enforcement representatives also shared their concerns around legalization\u2014but there was notable acknowledgement that some reforms should be enacted, including possible rescheduling.<\/p>\n

The governor of Massachusetts recently\u00a0promoted the testimony of activists who spoke in favor of her veterans-focused bill<\/a>\u00a0that would, in part, create a psychedelics work group to\u00a0study the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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UN Body Reaffirms That Marijuana Legalization Violates International Treaties, While Addressing Germany Cannabis Reform And U.S. Psychedelics Movement<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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The post Connecticut Lawmakers Consider Psilocybin Decriminalization Bill In Joint Committee Hearing<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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Connecticut lawmakers took up a bill in committee on Wednesday that would decriminalize low-level possession of psilocybin, despite the governor\u2019s office recently indicating that it has concerns about the psychedelics reform. The legislature\u2019s Joint Judiciary Committee considered the proposal, which would make possession of up to one-half an ounce ofContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81,126],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73015"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73015"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73015\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73016,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73015\/revisions\/73016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}