Rhode Island lawmakers introduce Magic Mushroom Bill

If the federal government approves psilocybin, two Rhode Island lawmakers want the state ready to take advantage.

According to local news station WPRI, the bill under consideration would “decriminalize the use of so-called ‘magic mushrooms’ nationwide,” although “[hinge] whether the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approves psilocybin as a treatment for chronic mental disorders.”

“Veterans and many others in our community struggle with chronic [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder], depression and other mental health disorders that can be downright debilitating,” said Democratic State Representative Brandon Potter, as quoted by WPRI. “We should give them the freedom to try any remedy available and not criminalize a natural, effective cure.”

Potter is sponsoring the measure along with Senator Meghan Kallman, also a Democrat. It’s familiar territory for Potter.

Last year, Potter proposed legislation that would have also decriminalized psilocybin, although there was no FDA approval provision in that legislation.

According to WPRI, this year’s proposal would “oblige the Rhode Island Department of Health to regulate the use of psilocybin as a treatment should it be approved by the FDA.”

“Psilocybin is not addictive,” Kallman said, as quoted by WPRI. “It occurs naturally and has been used by humans for recreational and medicinal purposes for thousands of years.”

“It’s only illegal because President Nixon associated it with his political opponents over 50 years ago,” she added. “It’s time to reverse that mistake and give our neighbors who struggle with chronic mental illness and all Rhode Island residents the freedom to use psilocybin responsibly.”

Mushrooms and other psychedelics are quickly becoming the next front for legalization advocates, as science and the medical community continue to uncover more encouraging evidence about their ability to treat disorders.

The state of Oregon legalized psilocybin for therapy in 2020 after voters there approved a ballot measure. Two years later, Colorado voters did the same.

The changes in the law coincided with changing attitudes towards drugs.

A 2020 poll by research firm Green Horizons found that 38% of American adults believed psilocybin mushrooms should be legal, at least in certain circumstances.

“When it comes to psychedelics, there are many parallels to the cannabis legalization movement. In both cases, education is paramount,” said Adriana Waterston, SVP of Insights and Strategy at Green Horizon at the time. “Psychedelics, like cannabis, have been associated with a negative, heavily stigmatized image for many years. However, science is telling us that psychedelics hold tremendous promise for certain chronic mental illnesses, even those that have been treatment-resistant. As we continue to study psychedelics and the evidence of their benefits mounts, we can expect support for legalization to follow.”

The poll found that 25% of Americans believe psilocybin mushrooms should be legal in certain circumstances – perhaps as a medicinal or religious practice – while 13% believe it should be legalized outright.

As WPRI noted, “Current federal law classifies psilocybin as a Schedule 1 drug alongside fentanyl and cocaine, both of which are highly addictive,” while Rhode Island state law classifies the hallucinogen in the same category as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.”