Marijuana Moment reports
Virginia lawmakers introduced new bills this week to decriminalize the possession of psychedelics.
The proposals in the House of Delegates and Senate are nearly identical, except that the measure in the former chamber covers several psychedelic substances while the other would only reduce penalties for psilocybin and psilocyn.
legp604The House proposal would amend state drug statute by making possession of “peyote, ibogaine, psilocybin, or psilocyn” by adults 21 and older a civil penalty that carries a $100 fine. Currently, such possession is considered a Class 5 felony.
Any dollars collected from psychedelics possession violations would go to the state’s Drug Offender Assessment and Treatment Fund, which supports substance misuse treatment programs and drug courts.
Del. Dawn Adams (D) and Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D) are sponsoring the nearly identical measures.
At a recent virtual event organized by the reform group Decriminalize Nature Virginia, the lawmakers participated as hosts, sharing their perspectives about the growing body of research indicating that psychedelics could be powerful tools to combat conditions like treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Virginia Could Decriminalize Psilocybin And Other Psychedelics With Newly Filed Bills
