CT House narrowly votes to decriminalize ‘magic mushrooms’
mark pazniokas / ct mirror
At top, three lawmakers with police backgrounds chat outside the House: Reps. Renee LaMark Muir, Greg Howard and Anthony Nolan. Howard, a Republican, voted against the psilocybin bill. The other two, both Democrats voted in favor.
Over protracted objections from the Republican minority, the Connecticut House voted 74 to 65 Monday night for a bill that would decriminalize small amounts of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in hallucinogenic mushrooms.
House Bill 7065 would reduce the penalty for illegally possessing less than half an ounce of psilocybin from a crime that carries a possible prison term to a $150 fine for a first offense.
Republicans attacked the legislation as premature, given ongoing research into its potential medical benefits, and flawed in that it does not precisely define psilocybin, which is a chemical compound.
“Why jump the gun on this?” asked Rep. Tracy Marra, R-Darien.
The bill passed despite significant dissent among Democrats: 22 joined 43 Republicans in opposition. Two Republicans joined 72 Democrats in favor. A dozen lawmakers did not vote.
The Democratic majority rejected several Republican amendments, including one that would have created a working group to study cities and states that have decriminalized psilocybin.
“Psilocybin is a product which has been shown to be an effective therapeutic for various mental illnesses, including treating PTSD, addictions, depressions and anxiety disorders,” said Rep. Steven Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, the co-chair of the Judiciary Committee.
Stafstrom called the bill a cautious step that would cease to equate the drug with heroin and cocaine.
“What this bill seeks to do is pretty simple. It doesn’t legalize the substance. I want to be really clear. This bill does not legalize psilocybin,” he said. “What this bill says is, instead of being subject to a year in jail for possessing under half an ounce of psilocybin, you’d be subject to a fine.”
Marra said she is aware of anecdotal evidence of the drug’s promise but said the state should defer to the FDA on decriminalization and await the results of ongoing research.
“I believe there is promise for this drug,” she said.
Rep. Craig Fishbein, R-Wallingford, the ranking Republican on Judiciary, mocked the majority for even debating the bill.
“Believe it or not, while people’s electric bills are going through the roof, taxes are being increased — we hear across the state about our municipalities raising taxes — the Connecticut legislature is decriminalizing magic mushrooms,” Fishbein said. “Yup, that’s what we have before us.”
Fishbein complained the bill had no standards for assessing potency.
“That’s how we’re going to operate here? I think we need a lot more information,” he said. “I’m very concerned about the lack of studies.”
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