Senator Scott D. Wiener. (Photo: Kevin Sanders for California Globe)
Psychedelic Drug Decriminalization Passes Assembly Public Safety Committee
‘This is likely the last hurrah for the psychedelic bill’
By Evan Symon, June 28, 2023 6:08 pm
A bill to decriminalize plant-based psychedelic drugs passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday in a 5-2 vote, inching closer to the critical Assembly-wide vote.
Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) admitted at a virtual event this week that his bill to decriminalize some psychedelic drugs would have a hard time passing the Assembly in the coming months. His bill needs to pass two tough Committees and a growing number of lawmakers are not on board with the bill.
First introduced in December of last year, Senate Bill 58 by Senator Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) proposed to decriminalize plant-based and other natural hallucinogens such as psilocybin (magic mushrooms), dimethyltryptamine (psychedelic drug DMT), ibogaine (psychedelic substance), and mescaline (psychedelic hallucinogen). In addition, law enforcement would be unable to charge those holding the drugs with a criminal penalty while also still being completely illegal for minors.
SB 58 also would remove bans on having psilocybin or psilocyn spores that can produce mushrooms, and on having drug paraphernalia associated with all decriminalized drugs. Specific limits outlined by the bill include up to 2 grams of DMT, 15 grams of Ibogaine, and 2 grams of Psilocybin.
The bill is a significantly pared down version of SB 519, first introduced in January 2021 by Weiner that would not only have legalized the psychedelics in SB 58, but also would have included synthetic hallucinogens such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ketamine (“dissociative anesthetic”), and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy, molly). However, the bill was amended heavily in 2021 and 2022, removing ketamine, peyote derivatives of decriminalized mescaline, and other troubling parts for legislators and opposition groups, including law enforcement agencies. Despite the amendments, the bill was still gutted in August, removing everything but a single study on the use of the remaining drugs. In March, it was finally passed by the Senate Public Safety Committee, with the bill then moving directly to a Senate vote in May.
The road ahead for SB 58
In late May, the bill managed to pass the Senate, but due to a growing number of lawmakers opposing the bill, it only passed 21-16. This led to Senator Wiener noting earlier in the month that the bill didn’t have a great chance at succeeding, although it should be able to at least get past a committee or two based on previous bill performance. This all brought the bill to the Assembly Public Safety Committee vote on Tuesday, where it passed 5-2.
Senator Wiener praised the passage of SB 58 on Tuesday, even going so far as to say that the bill would ‘reverse some of the damage’ from over 50 years of criminalization.
“The Assembly Public Safety Committee just passed our legislation to decriminalize possession & use of plant/mushroom-based psychedelics, SB 58,” said Wiener on Tuesday. “Thank you to my colleagues & also to the combat veterans who’ve benefited from psychedelics & are driving this important bill. These substances have significant healing potential, and there’s growing research showing that potential.
“Had the war on drugs not started in the 60s and 70s, we would probably be in a dramatically more advanced state around psychedelics—but the war on drugs, which criminalizes possession and use among other things, shut everything down and we lost 40 or 50 years as a result. We’re trying to reverse some of that damage. Let’s stop arresting people for possessing and using. And then we can build from there.”
The Assembly Public Safety Committee just passed our legislation to decriminalize possession & use of plant/mushroom-based psychedelics, SB 58.
Thank you to my colleagues & also to the combat veterans who’ve benefited from psychedelics & are driving this important bill.
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) June 27, 2023
While SB 58 did move on to the Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday, doubts have continued to be raised if it can make it through this time around. To pass the Public Safety Committee, the bill had to be amended yet again, this time delaying the usage of facilitated psychedelics until a regulated framework for it can be made. Even with this, Senator Wiener echoed what he had said earlier this month on Tuesday in that bill would have a hard time moving much more forward.
“The path for this bill has always been narrow and remains narrow,” added Senator Wiener. “But we do have a path.”
Former police officer and current drug counselor Marty Ribera expanded on that in a Globe interview on Wednesday, noting, “This is likely the last hurrah for the psychedelic bill. Like before, he keeps compromising on it but keeps the more worrisome aspects of it intact. If this was much smaller scale on a medical trial basis to potentially give this as a treatment to a certain group of people, this would have had far better luck. Instead, he is taking on decriminalization without the proper checks and you can just see support melting away. And there is still a long road ahead for this bill. This is not even close to being a sure thing.”
SB 58 is to next be heard in the Assembly Health Committee soon.
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Don’t you just love (not) how Sen Scott Wiener always mentions the “combat veterans” who will “benefit” from the legalization of psychedelic drugs?
Do you really think Sen Scott Wiener gives a rat’s rear end about “combat veterans” in the first place? Pretty confident he does not. Thus the sob story so often used by Wiener (and others) is likely a red herring. It’s certainly preposterous on its face.
The reason there is a better chance of SB 58 being killed in Asm Health Committee is probably because there are some strong Repub members. That’s likely why Wiener is worried. We don’t yet know when SB 58 will be heard in Health but Evan Symon said “soon.” Here is the link to the Assembly Committee on Health to contact members and urge a NO vote on it when it is heard.
https://ahea.assembly.ca.gov/
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the link to the names of the committee members.
In the meantime, if you haven’t already, please be sure to call or email or “contact box” your Assembly member, letting them know that you oppose SB 58, that you are their constituent, and that you strongly urge them to Vote NO on SB 58 should it reach the Assembly floor.
The list of reasons why is LONG; e.g., it is a step on the road to all drug legalization, it is meant to keep as many Californians as possible befuddled and half-psycho so they can’t or won’t speak up about CA’s continual downfall, it is absurd to legalize psychedelics given the drug-addled mentally-ill horrors already on our streets, etc. Pick a reason and add it to your brief comments. Find your Assembly member and contact them here:
Assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers
Don’t you just love (not) how people who’ve never been in combat and never lived with a family member suffering from PTSD feel entitled to spout negative, uninformed and compassionless comments?
Do you really think Showandtell gives a rat’s rear end about combat veterans or how they are benefitting right now (albeit underground) from plant medicines? I am totally confident he/she is not; there’s not a clue of any actual knowledge shown or told at all. Thus the constant showing and telling of clueless old tropes from generations-old culture wars and drug wars.
SB 58 isn’t the only psychedelic legislation on the table. The Republican version is AB-941, by Marie Waldron. She’s just starting out with this one, and her bill needs a lot of amendment before it would be practical or have any useful effect. But at least she is getting the GOP on board with the 21st century. She is also well-positioned as Vice Chair of the Health Committee. Waldron isn’t a lawyer and her legislation writing ability is limited (embarrassingly obvious in the text), but she may yet learn or pick up a competent staffer who took some courses in law.
SB-58 is doing slightly better with Dems than Weiner’s SB-519. It will probably pass the Health Committee (as SB-519 did last session). Who knows if Weiner will try to cut a deal with Waldron or some other GOP members to get some compromise passed? The real test will be the Appropriations Committee. Weiner’s changes are primarily to cut enactment costs; that allowed it to skip the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Assembly has different rules, but lower costs to implement will make it easier to get though the Assembly as well.
“Science Facts” — you and those like you who have relentlessly pushed legalization of drugs have been proven to be untrustworthy, using poster-boy sob stories to jam through, with little discussion and NO debate, drugs whose major downsides are only brought to public light AFTER legalization. When legalization of (now super-strength) marijuana triggers schizophrenia and other psychotic effects in young people and results in ruined lives and brain damage from obvious but denied addiction, as well as other previously unheralded effects of these drugs, have we heard one peep of apology from your camp? That maybe you were wrong? Or under-informed? Or that you neglected to mention important downsides? No. You’ve just moved on to the next inappropriate and harmful drug legalization attempt.
Would you please share with us what is your stake in this matter? Why do you care so much about legitimizing psychedelics? If those who ‘benefit’ are using these substances now, why not continue and leave it at that? Why is the present method of procurement and use not enough to help those who supposedly ‘benefit,’ such as “combat veterans?” Is Big Pharma looking to get on board with this? Have you been designated or have you designated yourself as some sort of a spokesperson for this effort?
There are plenty of valid arguments to be against this legalization, many of which have been made on this site. Knowledge of different kinds of substances, simple observation, friends and relatives affected, and solid common sense are all more than enough reason to take a stand against this effort to legalize. Really, the idea is clearly absurd on its face given the tortured souls who abound on the streets, easily seen by all, who are suffering from psychosis and other mental illness already. Why on earth would anyone want to increase that suffering or produce more who suffer?
In the end, your pro-hallucinogenic camp, including Sen Scott Wiener, have more than proven to the CA citizenry to be untrustworthy. “Medical marijuana,” as one example. That you always pop up on this issue and no other is also revealing. That you call yourself “Science Facts” is another clue.
As I have said before I am also against Republican Waldron’s AB 941.
“proven to be untrustworthy” is an odd thing to say when your comment proves nothing other than you’ve never served in uniform. You have no idea what life in a conflict zone is actually like. You don’t know even one person suffering with PTSD. You have no clue at all what it means for heroes to pay for their treatment plus travel to another country.
What’s *your* stake in making sure they don’t get effective treatment?
“… your comment proves nothing other than you’ve never served in uniform.”
This criticism is not fair @Science Facts, imo. Many others of other professions suffer PTSD including police officers, fire fighters, nurses just to name a few. The fact that someone has not served in the military is not a valid counter argument, per se. Also, I worked with many military who were in combat and did not suffer from PTSD.
Answering Raymond’s 12:08pm comment, because it doesn’t have a “Reply” button. The issue here is not that only veterans’ PTSD is legitimate (because God knows there are even more non-vets with PTSD), only that it is the most obvious case of our government heaping injury upon injury by criminalizing servicemembers who need help. If you or Showandtell don’t know anybody with PTSD, well great for your friends. That proves NOTHING about whether it’s a good idea to continue criminalizing these substances or not.
What *is* relevant is the extensive evidence that these substances produce far more benefit than harm, that there already exists a network of practitioners who are able to use them safely, that there is profound need for them. There *is not* and never has been evidence that these substances cause enough harm to justify criminalizing them. The overwhelmingly most common source of harm to people using psychedelics is the laws criminalizing their behavior.
Thanks for urging us to contact our ASMs! Easy-peasy – just hope they’ll listen.
Pretty confident they’ll take note if enough people take the step to weigh in on this, bminks.
Thanks so much for your reply 🙂
Creepy Democrat Senator Scott Wiener and his fellow Democrats in the legislature want as many Californians as possible hallucinating and drugged out of their minds so Democrats can implement their Marxist globalist agenda with as little opposition as possible?
California: “Tune in, turn on, drop out.”
TJ and Fed Up: Love your two admirably succinct statements that put this whole mess in a nutshell.
That’s what this is all about, I’m sure! 🙂
I hope Evan Symon is right – ” , he is taking on decriminalization without the proper checks and you can just see support melting away. And there is still a long road ahead for this bill. This is not even close to being a sure thing.” If adults can see this whack-job of a senator isn’t taking proper responsibility, then maybe there’s hope the bill will die, as it should. Showandtell is absolutely right that there has been little discussion and NO debate. The new style of Leftist “leadership” is just authoritarian and to plow ahead regardless to get a bill passed. That dangerous, harmful psychdelics are going to be decriminalized with the “compassion for the poor veterans” scam should be enough to warn any adult of an agenda. As Albert Jay Nocks once said, “In proportion as you give the state power to do things for you, you give it the power to do things to you.” The government of California really has NO business providing social services whatsoever, let alone psychotropic drugs!. With each “service,” the government’s power grows and ours diminishes.
Fingers crossed, Joey Virgo.
Appreciated the quote you used. Says it all about “the state.”
I know why Scott Weiner loves psychedelic mushrooms!
I can’t believe nobody has brought this up yet: the most potent psilocybe cubensis mushrooms are the “Penis Envy” variety.
The rest of them don’t look too far off from phallus itself.
Scott Weiner. Senator Weiner. The guy who decriminalized statory anal rape of a minor. The guy pushing to allow kidnapping by the state any kid the state determines to be trans and not properly affirmed by that kids parents.
He wants to decriminalize phallic-shaped drugs. Weiner.
Why aren’t there more political cartoons about this?
@Science Facts. Your credibility can and will be justifiably questioned as long as you ignore/deflect questions regarding profiteers (Peter Thiel) and criminal elements (Cartels) who will undoubtedly take advantage of the “industry” created by legalization; just like what has taken place during the process leading up to the legalization of Marijuana. History will repeat. The cartels can produce and supply these same drugs more efficiently and cheaply; just like they are doing with Marijuana and Fentanyl. Objection to legalization has nothing to do with being “hard hearted” as you accuse others of being. Public safety cannot simply be ignored and neither can the idea of “tough love” as an alternative to liberalization.
https://psychedelicspotlight.com/peter-thiel-invests-12-million-in-psychedelic-drug-manufacturer/