The state of New York has helped start 2023 with some good psychedelic news, announcing a bill to legalize some psychedelics for adults 21 and older.
The proposed legislation would amend current law to legalize the “possession, use, cultivation, production, creation, analysis, gifting, exchange, or sharing by or between natural persons of twenty-one years of age or older of a natural plant or fungus-based hallucinogen.”
Compounds covered by this bill would include: DMT, ibogaine, mescaline, psilocybin and psilocyn would fall under the definition of “natural plant or fungus-based hallucinogens” that would be legalized by the bill.
Some other highlights from the proposed legislation:
- Authorize people to engage in psychedelic services “with or without remuneration”.
- Allow the use of entheogens in religious ceremonies.
- State and local law enforcement would be prohibited from cooperating or providing assistance to the federal government if the activities were made legal under the new NY state law.
- Employers would be barred from taking adverse action against a worker for lawfully using psychedelics off duty.
- People could not lose their professional licenses, public assistance or be denied mental health or behavioral health services simply for using psychedelics.
- Lawful use of psychedelics couldn’t be the sole basis for a child welfare investigation.
- The proposal bill would remove psilocybin, psilocyn, DMT, mescaline and ibogaine from the state’s banned substances list.
This a comprehensive and progressive bill proposal, one that could have some legs as New York has just begun its legal cannabis sales this week.
The legislation is being proposed this week and is sponsored by assemblymember members Linda Rosenthal (D), Jo Anne Simon (D) and Karines Reyes (D).
