New Bill Introduced in Washington State Would Legalize Psilocybin, Magic Mushrooms

Adding to a wave of psychedelics legalization measures that are sweeping across the American North West, lawmakers in Washington State introduced a bill that would create a state-licensed program to provide medical treatment with psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms.

The Psilocybin Wellness and Opportunity Act would legalize “supported psilocybin experiences” for adults 21 and older, who would be allowed to consume products containing psilocybin and psilocin, under the support of a trained and state-licensed service administrator, Marijuana Moment reported.

In October 2021, Seattle, the largest city in the state and northwest region, decriminalized the possession and personal use of natural psychedelic substances, launching a trend that is now expanding across the state.

The legislation echoes a program launched in 2020 by neighboring Oregon, where a ballot bill allowed for the creation of a state-licensed psilocybin therapy program which is now in the final stages of its two-year set-up period.

In Washington, patients would be referred to a licensed service center and those with limiting medical conditions could qualify for psilocybin treatment at home.

“This is a practice as old as humanity itself and it is time to incorporate this opportunity to heal into our toolbox here in Washington state,” Senator Jesse Salomon, one of the bill’s sponsors, told Marijuana Moment.

Photo by Zhifei Zhou on Unsplash.