California bill that would legalize psychedelics like magic mushrooms heads to Gov. Newsom's desk

SACRAMENTO – California could be on the verge of decriminalizing some psychedelics after a bill passed the legislature on Thursday.

SB58 would remove criminal penalties for personal possession of natural psychedelics. This includes the popularly known "magic mushrooms," which contain the hallucinogens psilocybin and psilocin.

People 21 years and older in California would be able to possess and use psilocybin, psilocin, Dimethyltryptamine, and mescaline if the bill is signed into law.

State Sen. Scott Wiener has been pushing for the decriminalization of natural psychedelics. A previous bill he introduced in 2021, SB519, died in committee. He then reintroduced the bill late in 2022 as SB58 and the legislation has been making its way through the chamber.

On Wednesday, the bill passed a major hurdle in being passed by the California State Assembly. A day later, the State Senate gave their final approval.

The bill is now headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk.

There has been a flurry of action at the California State Capitol as the lawmakers reach the final two weeks of the Legislative session.

Newsom's office commented on other bills that were passed this week, including legislation that would ban book bans, but the governor has yet to indicate whether he'd sign Wiener's bill into law. 

If SB 58 is signed into law, it won't go into effect until Jan. 1, 2025. 

Oregon and Colorado have also recently passed similar laws that decriminalizes adult personal use of psilocybin. 

Several cities in California, including Santa Cruz and Oakland, have already decriminalized psilocybin mushrooms. 

Magic mushrooms -- like marijuana, despite recent efforts across the country -- remain federally illegal, classified as a Schedule 1 substance. 

In:
• Sacramento
• War On Drugs
• Magic Mushrooms
• California