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California Psychedelic Possession Bill Makes Advances

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California Psychedelic Possession Bill Makes Advances

This past Monday, August 16, the California General Assembly moved SB 519 forward. This bill, sponsored by Senator Scott Wiener, D, would legalize psychedelic possession for California citizens 21 and over. Previously, SB 519 passed a full Senate and two General Assembly committees. It received a second reading in the Assembly and heads to its final committee, the Appropriations Committee. There, SB 519 faces a crucial hurdle to moving forward and potentially becoming a law later this year. 

Appropriations Committee 

This committee has already reviewed and passed SB 519 after the legislation’s first reading. However, the Public Health and Safety Committee made significant changes to the bill following the Appropriations Committee’s approval. The General Assembly wants a second approval from the Appropriations Committee before moving the bill to its third and final hearing. 

If SB 519 passes its third General Assembly, then the bill returns to the Senate. There the Senate will give a final confirmation before sending the bill to Governor Newsom, D. The Senate will then have until September 10 to so the bill can have a chance at approval before the end of the year. If the Senate doesn’t act on the bill, it will remain active. However, SB 519 won’t receive discussion until the beginning of January 2022. This is something that Senator Wiener is actively trying to avoid

“Our goal is to pass this bill this year and to have it signed into law,” the Senator said.

Potential Pitfall

However, there is a potential for this bill to fail. On August 26, the Appropriations Committee will hold a “suspense hearing.” Here, they will determine if SB 519 will move forward to potentially follow the process explained above. If the Appropriations Committee says SB 519 is “held on suspense,” this will kill the bill before it can return to the General Assembly for a final discussion. This is considered the worst possible outcome for activists and for Senator Wiener, who has been pushing hard for this bill all year. 

Activists are working toward psychedelic reform across the country, with psychedelic decriminalization happening in eight cities with more to come. Should California become the first state to legalize psychedelic possession, it would be a step forward for psychedelic reform. Right now, only towns and a few counties across the country have decriminalized and legalized the possession of psychedelics. Oregon legalized the possession and medical use of psilocybin mushrooms this past November 2020 election, but no other psychedelics. If this bill passes, California would become the first state to legalize a large variety of psychedelic possession. As more information becomes available, we will update you with the latest.

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