Connecticut lawmakers have approved a bill to decriminalize psilocybin in a bicameral committee.
About two weeks after the legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee first discussed the psychedelics proposal, members approved it on Tuesday.
The legislation would make possession of up to one-half an ounce of psilocybin punishable by a $150 fine, without the threat of jail time.
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.
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.
Judiciary Committee Co-chair Rep. Steven Stafstrom (D) said the bill is partly about “recognizing that there has been quite a bit of study around this drug [and] recognizing the potential health benefits that veterans and others suffering from PTSD use it for and pushing in that direction.”
“Let’s be clear: This is not a legalization bill,” he said. “Possession of psilocybin under this bill would still be illegal. A police officer could still confiscate it could still destroy it and could issue an infraction ticket to someone in possession of small amounts of psilocybin.”
Opponents of the legislation spoke generally about their concerns about loosening restrictions on another substance after the state legalized marijuana. Several of them did recognize the medical potential of psilocybin, however.
An earlier version of the psilocybin decriminalization bill passed the House last year but did not advance in the Senate.
Lawmakers and activists held an informational forum in January to discuss the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin and potential pathways to allow for regulated access. (Full Story)