The Maine Senate has voted to pass a bill to legalize possession of up to one ounce of psilocybin by people 21 and older—one day after the House of Representatives also approved the measure.
Both votes were narrow, with the Senate clearing the legislation 17-16 on Tuesday and the House passing it 70–69 on Monday.
Before the bill can be sent to Governor, each chamber will need to vote on enactment. Janet Mills, a Democrat. She will either sign it into law or have her veto the measure.
Grayson Lookner’s (D) bill, LD1034, would neither authorize nor regulate the production, distribution, or commercial sale of psychedelic substances.
Earlier in the session, a panel had proposed a significant amendment to the proposal to simply mandate the creation of a “Commission to Study Pathways for Creating a Psilocybin Service Program.” However, the legislation was now approved by both chambers as it appeared originally.
Lookner said the bill was “about compassion, justice and common sense” before Monday’s House votes.
He said: “We are in a position to relieve profound suffering among veterans, who have suffered the invisible scars of war. We can also correct an unfair and irrational legal system that is only perpetuated because it has become outdated.”
The bill decriminalizes possession for those adults who are 21 and older. This bill does NOT legalize the sale of psilocybin. “It does not establish a market for recreational use,” said the sponsor. It simply states that an adult who chooses to use this substance personally should not be arrested, sentenced to jail, or have a criminal record.
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The proposal as originally filed had support from advocacy groups such as ACLU of Maine and the Reason Foundation, which both submitted testimony in favor of LD 1034 at an initial hearing.
The now-abandoned amendment by the committee to the bill required the study commission to provide a legislative report detailing its findings, recommendations and “including proposed legislation” for the presentation to joint standing committees on criminal justice and public safety, veterans, legal affairs, health and human service.
It follows an effort last year in Maine, which aimed to legalize the drug and let adults access it at licensed facilities. But lawmakers watered down that bill—amending it to create a commission to further explore the reform instead—and it ultimately did not pass.
Maine lawmakers voted, in February of this year, to examine possible conflicted interests of a high-ranking marijuana official.
And last year, a law took effect allowing people to apply to have records of now-legal marijuana crimes sealed.
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