California Senators Advance Bill to Legalize Psychedelic Treatment Centers

California senators voted on Tuesday to advance a bill that would establish treatment centers in the state where adults aged 21 or older could access psychedelics including psilocybin, psilocyn, DMT, MDMA, and mescaline while under supervision, Marijuana Moment reports.

The “Regulated Therapeutic Access to Psychedelics Act” passed the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee earlier this month, and the Public Safety Committee voted 3-2 this week to advance the proposal to the Appropriations Committee for consideration.

Sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D), the proposal creates regulated access points for psychedelic substances but would not remove criminal penalties outside of that environment. Additionally, participants in the program would need to submit to a health and safety screening. Other provisions of the bill include training and licensing requirements for those who would facilitate psychedelics, the creation of a “Division of Regulated Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy” that would regulate the program, and new licensing procedures for the program’s producers and testing labs. The bill would also fund public education initiatives covering the safe use of psychedelics and their potential risks and benefits.

“People are using psychedelics today. There is incredible potential in terms of treating mental health and substance use disorders. And we should bring it into the sunlight so people can use safely in a supervised, structured setting.” — Wiener, via Marijuana Moment

The bill was crafted to appease requests by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who last year vetoed a proposal that sought to decriminalize certain natural psychedelics. At the time, the governor urged lawmakers to send him a different proposal “that includes therapeutic guidelines.”