The bill drew ridicule when it was introduced earlier this year, but on Monday the Rhode Island House of Representatives voted 54 to 11 in favor of legislation that would decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms.
Representative Brandon C. Potter, the Cranston Democrat who introduced the bill, said the vote represents a “positive step forward” for the proposal to allow Rhode Islanders to possess up to an ounce of psilocybin, the hallucinogen found in psychedelic mushrooms.
”It’s marking a shift in how we approach our drug policy and how we approach mental health treatments,” Potter said. “I’m looking forward to being able to know that people who need treatment the most have access to every possible treatment in Rhode Island pretty soon.”
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But “pretty soon” probably won’t mean this year.
Senator Meghan E. Kallman, a Pawtucket Democrat, said she does not expect the Senate to take action in the last days of the legislative session on the companion bill that she has introduced. The House and Senate are aiming to wrap up this year’s session by Thursday night.
”I think it needs more time for the Senate to consider the full implications,” Kallman said, noting that the Senate had a hearing on the bill late in the session. “I expect to be back next year with a full cadre of experts, stakeholders, and community members to hammer out the specifics.”
Potter first introduced the legislation in the House two years ago, and Kallman filed a companion bill in the Senate this year.
The legislation comes one year after the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to make Rhode Island the 19th state to legalize recreational marijuana.
The bill also would allow psilocybin to be used as a treatment for chronic mental health disorders, provided the US Food and Drug Administration approves such use in the future.
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”We shouldn’t make drug policy lightly,” Kallman said. “So it’s OK that we take the time to do it right.”
The House passed the bill without debate.
Representative Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung, a Cranston Republican, voted against it. “We’re going into an economic recession and China is eating our lunch on the world stage,” she said afterward. “But instead of finding ways to restore American excellence, we focused on making it easier for people to hallucinate. No thank you.”
But Representative David J. Place, a Burrillville Republican who is a US Army combat veteran, voted for it. Psychedelic mushrooms “have been used widely to help with PTSD treatment,” he said afterward. “Everything I’ve read and heard on podcasts says it’s beneficial to folks.”
This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
The outlook for legalizing psychedelic mushrooms in R.I. – The Boston Globe
