A joint committee in Connecticut’s Legislature held a public hearing today on legislation to decriminalize the personal possession of psilocybin mushrooms.
Dried psilocybin mushrooms in a bowl.
The Joint Committee on Judiciary conducted a hearing today for House Bill 5297, which states that “Any person who possesses or has under such person’s control less than one-half ounce of psilocybin shall, for a first offense, be fined one hundred fifty dollars, and for a subsequent offense, be fined “not less than two hundred dollars or more than five hundred dollars.”
The measure clarifies that law enforcement officer issuing a complaint for a violation of subsection (a) of this section “shall seize the psilocybin and cause such substance to be destroyed as contraband in accordance with law.”
“Any person who, at separate times, has twice entered a plea of nolo contendere to, or been found guilty after trial of, a violation of subsection (a) of this section shall, upon a subsequent plea of nolo contendere to, or finding of guilty of, a violation of said subsection, be referred for participation in a drug education program at such person’s own expense”, states the legislation.
During today’s public hearing the vast majority of speakers were supportive of HB 5297, with most supporters promoting psilocybin’s medical and therapeutic value. Among those who opposed the measure, some argued it would lead to people driving high and some argued it would be detrimental to society.
Among those in support was a licensed therapist arguing it should be available for her patients who have mental health issues, and a representative for the Last Prisoner Project, Jason Ortiz, pointed out that possessing psilocybin is punishable by up to a year in prison, with a two-year mandatory minimum sentence if caught in a school zone.
“We are talking about a simple handful of mushrooms and you’re potential incarcerating people for years of their life”, said Ortiz, who called psilocybin “one of the least harmful plants on the planet”, saying criminalization “is not in the best interest of the public”.
The committee did not take action on the measure, as is often the case directly following a public hearing. It’s expected the council could vote on the bill in the coming days.
The full text of the proposed law can be found by clicking here.
