Following the recent failure of a state bid to legalize psychedelic treatment centers in California, advocates now say they are considering a 2026 state ballot measure to address psychedelics reform.
California Psychedelics Advocates Considering Legalization Initiative
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California psychedelics advocates are considering a state ballot measure that would legalize the use of drugs like psilocybin and MDMA, according to a KQED report.
State Sen. Scott Weiner (D) — the author of a recently failed state proposal to legalize psychedelic treatment centers — said that he expects to see the issue appear on the 2026 ballot if state lawmakers don’t take action, first.
“We are not giving up, whether that means introducing a new bill or ballot measure, this issue is not going away. We know these substances are helping people turn their lives around.” — Weiner, via KQED
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) last year vetoed a proposal to decriminalize certain psychedelic substances including mescaline, DMT, psilocybin, and psilocin. At the time, the governor requested that lawmakers deliver him a psychedelics bill prioritizing therapeutic applications.
Advocates have not yet decided whether the future ballot proposal would address only the therapeutic use of substances like magic mushrooms or whether it would call for a wider decriminalization of psychedelics, the report said.
Meanwhile, multiple studies have shown that psychedelic substances like MDMA and psilocybin — the primary psychedelic ingredient in magic mushrooms — show promise against treatment-resistant mental health afflictions.
Oregon became the first state to vote to legalize therapeutic psychedelics in 2020 but the program there has shown mixed success.
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