Connecticut legislators have introduced a measure to decriminalize adult psilocybin, even though the Democratic Governor had indicated he would reject a previous version of this reform measure.
In a Friday vote, the Joint Judiciary Committee in the Legislature passed it with 29-12. It was about a week ago that the committee first discussed the proposal, debated it and took public testimony.
The law would punish possession of up half an ounce or less of psilocybin with a fine of $150, but not jail.
Connecticut’s lawmakers are working on psilocybin’s decriminalization for the third time in a single session. In 2023, the reform measure cleared the House but did not move through the Senate. The Judiciary Committee also approved a version last year.
A second or subsequent violation of possession would be subject to a minimum fine amounting to $200, but no more than $500. Two separate pleas of guilty or no contest would result in a referral to an alcohol and drug abuse treatment program.
It does not allow psilocybin to be legalized. The law does not allow driving while impaired by psilocybin, according to Steven Stafstrom’s (D) Friday statement. It only reduces the punishment for possession of less than half an inch of psilocybin, which is currently a misdemeanor.
Police would be require to seize and destroy any amount of the psychedelic they find under the current measure, HB 7065. Possession of psilocybin in excess of half an ounce would constitute a misdemeanor of Class A.
The members of the committee rejected a proposal that provided funding of $1 million to help support recruitment, retention and training of Drug Recognition Experts (DREs). The sponsor of the amendment expressed concern about impaired driving and highlighted that there are only 60 DREs in the state. However, the committee chair opposed the proposal because it felt appropriations should be handled by another panel.
When the proposal came up last year—which involved an informational forum with lawmakers and activists to discuss the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin and potential pathways to allow for regulated access—the office of Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat from Connecticut, said that the bill may not be able to pass.
A spokesperson at the moment said that “the governor is concerned about the decriminalization” of all mushrooms. However, it was still “too early to speculate”, as the bill hadn’t been submitted yet.
Lamont, who had signed legislation in 2021 to legalize marijuana, also reportedly threatened a veto as the 2023 version decriminalized possession of psilocybin.
—
MEDCAN24 has been tracking the hundreds of bills relating to cannabis, psychedelics or drug policies that have passed through state legislatures as well as Congress in this past year. Patreon members who pledge at least $25/month gain access to interactive maps, charts, and hearing schedules so that they do not miss anything.
Find out more about our marijuana law tracker. To gain access, become a Patreon supporter.
—
Lamont signed a large-scale budget bill in 2022 that includes provisions to set the state up to provide certain patients with access to psychedelic-assisted treatment using substances like MDMA and psilocybin.
Prior to that, he also signed separate legislation in 2021 that required the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to create a task force to study the therapeutic potential of psilocybin mushrooms.
Separately, a Connecticut lawmaker also introduced different legislation in 2023 that would have appropriated an unspecified amount of state funds to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for the current fiscal year to establish a “psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program.”
Texas Activists Rally For Support Of Another Local Marijuana decriminalization Ballot Issue For 2025
Dick Culbert provided the photo.
MEDCAN24 could not exist without readers’ support. Please consider making a Patreon monthly pledge if you depend on our cannabis journalism for information.
