Californians may soon have an opportunity to vote on legalizing magic mushrooms.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber announced that a new initiative to legalize psilocybin mushrooms, known as magic mushrooms, has started to collect signatures.
The big picture: If the initiative becomes law, magic mushrooms would be decriminalized for anyone 21 and older.
- Decriminalization would allow for people to cultivate, manufacture, process, distribute, transport, possess, store, sell and use magic mushrooms.
- The petition also would decriminalize the use of any edible products derived from the hallucinogenic chemical compounds found in magic mushrooms.
- Further, qualified healthcare practitioners would be allowed to use magic mushrooms for research, treatment and therapy.
- The initiative would also seal all criminal records for prior magic mushroom-related offenses if the sentence is completed.
- The initiative was brought forth by Ryan Munevar, the campaign director for Decriminalize California, which unsuccessfully tried to decriminalize psychedelics multiple times in recent years.
By the numbers: Munevar and Decriminalize California need to collect 546,651 signatures from registered voters in California in order to place it on the ballot in 2024.
- The nearly 550,000 signatures requirement is five percent of the votes cast for governor in the November 2022 election.
- Proponents have until Jan. 10, 2024, to submit the signatures to county elections officials.
What we’re watching: Along with the initiative to decriminalize magic mushrooms, the California Legislature is also taking up a bill that would decriminalize psychedelics.
- The California Senate already passed Senate Bill 58, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco), which would decriminalize psychedelics for anyone 21 and older.
- Late last month the Assembly Public Safety Committee passed the bill on a party-line vote. SB 58 will be heard by the Assembly Committee on Appropriations before heading to the full Assembly for a floor vote.
