Legislation filed in the Michigan Legislature would legalize certain psychedelic substances.
Mescaline (top left), ibogaine (top right), psilocyn mushrooms (bottom left), DMT (bottom right).
Senate Bill 499 would legalize the personal possession of psilocybin and psilocyn, both forms of magic mushrooms, while also legalizing DMT, mescaline and ibogaine.
The proposal, filed by Senator Jeff Irwin, would allow these substances to be grow and distributed so long as it’s done “without receiving money or other valuable consideration.” With that in mind, the measure would not allow psychedelics to be sold through retail outlets.
Irwin filed a version of this same bill in 2021, with it failing to advance out of its chamber of origin. However, Irwin believes that the rapidly growing shift in public opinion surrounding psychedelics could give the measure some momentum.
If Michigan was to legalize psychedelics, they would join Oregon and Colorado as states that have done the same. Similar legislation has recently been passed by the California Legislature and sent to Governor Gavin Newsom for consideration.
Results of a recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry “indicate broad therapeutic potential of psilocybin to produce lasting improvements in mental health symptoms related to anxiety, depression, and substance misuse”. Additionally, the study states that “psilocybin seems capable of producing enduring changes in psychological functioning and personality such as increased cognitive flexibility, emotion regulation, and extraversion, and reduced neuroticism, even in naturalistic settings that lack structured psychological support.”
