Contact Editor Sarah Vogelsong for questions: Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and Twitter. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX JanuVirginia lawmakers propose decriminalizing psychedelic mushroomsīy Ned Oliver, Virginia Mercury January 14, 2022 Virginia lawmakers propose decriminalizing psychedelic mushrooms It tries to open the door for us to continue to study the positive effects on people’s mental health going forward.” “It doesn’t egg people on (to use the drug). “If we decriminalize it, it allows people to learn,” she said. Magic mushroom (disambiguation) This page was last edited on 25 March 2021, at 18:43 (UTC. Such mushrooms include: Psychoactive Amanita mushroom Psilocybin mushroom See also. That makes it unlikely medical providers in Virginia would embrace psychedelics as a treatment option, but Adams said it would nonetheless be a step in the right direction. Hallucinogenic mushrooms are those mushrooms that have hallucinogenic effects on humans. “I’d be interested in hearing what (Adams) has to say.”Įven if the legislation were to pass, the drug would remain illegal, albeit with reduced penalties. “That is not something we’ve taken up before,” he said. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle, who leads the chamber’s Courts of Justice Committee, said he is open to hearing arguments in favor of the legislation. The bill likely faces long odds, especially in the House of Delegates, where the newly reinstated Republican majority has historically resisted efforts to loosen drug laws. So far, Oregon is the only state to legalize medicinal use of psilocybin, an active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms.
The bill would put Virginia at the forefront of a nascent decriminalization movement that has primarily been limited to cities, including Washington, D.C.
Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, and Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax, introduced similar legislation in the Senate.
The legislation would reduce the penalty for possession - currently a Class 5 felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison - to a $100 civil fine. Dawn Adams, D-Richmond, a nurse practitioner whose legislation would also decriminalize peyote, a cactus that contains the psychedelic compound mescalin. “It is increasingly a recognized treatment for refractory depression and PTSD,” said Del. Three Virginia lawmakers have introduced legislation that would end felony penalties for possession of psychedelic mushrooms, citing the drug’s growing acceptance in medicinal contexts.