California To Legalize  “Magic Mushroom” Therapy Just A Year After Psilocybin Decriminalization Veto: Are We Ready?

One in seven adults in California have struggled with their mental health or still continue to. While traditional therapy has been successful for many people, many express they are in need of more, or different, types of therapy.

California lawmakers proposed a new bill Feb. 6 that would allow people, 21 and older, to experience a new type of therapy through supervised consumption of psychedelic mushrooms. In efforts to get mental health and substance abuse rates down, psilocybin therapy may be an effective method in treating these issues both long term and short term.

The new bill, “Regulated Therapeutic Access to Psychedelics Act,” was filed by Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Marie Woldron. It was proposed as a means to address Gov. Gavin Newsom’s concerns with the previously tried bill regarding decriminalization.

In Oct. 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have decriminalized the possession and use of psilocybin, most commonly known as “magic mushrooms.” Within his veto message, he proposed that lawmakers tighten and clarify therapeutic regulations. 

This new bill monitors and regulates the amount of access someone has to psilocybin therapy, while also keeps in place the criminalization of psychedelic drug use outside of a supervised therapeutic environment. 

The use of psilocybin for therapeutic services is deemed slightly controversial, as people are still unsure of what conditions can be treated using these services as well as what this therapy entails. The bill will allow for the supervised use of psilocybin/psilocin and the following drugs: MDMA, DMT, and mescaline.

Benefits and Risks

Psilocybin therapy is proven to be effective in reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms. A recent study shows that depressive symptoms in those with treatment-resistant depression decreased significantly after both one week and three months. The same results were found for symptoms of those with anxiety disorders.

Psychedelic-experience integration specialist and doctoral student at the California Institute of Integral Studies, T.J. Weisbecker, emphasizes the importance of conducting more research before considering making this type of therapy available at a legal level. 

“I think it’s the cart before the horse,” said Weisbecker in response to the idea of potentially replacing modern day medicines with psychedelic therapy.

He also commented on Gov. Newsom’s letter he wrote when he vetoed the previously proposed psychedelic bill. 

“I agree with every single one of his points that he makes. And ultimately, his conclusion is that there is obviously remarkable potential here as indicated by the preliminary research that's being done. But that research is preliminary. And no one should be saying that we have substantial enough research to now be prescribing this as treatments wholesale to every community everywhere,” stated Weisbecker.

A unique aspect of this type of research is the fact that the majority of the data surrounding these experiences is self reported. There is no way to visually record or monitor what one is experiencing while hallucinating on a psychedelic. 

“It’s psychological, it's a retrospective self reporting science. You're asking people to recollect, in their own words and using their own experiences, which they have no words for, no concepts for… It's not data, it’s anecdotal data which when it comes to prescribing medicine, forget about it. Or when it comes to making legislation… again forget about it, you need empirical data,” states Weisbecker.

One of the gaps of research Weisbecker is referring to is the mixing of psychedelics with modern day medications. The interactions between the two are unknown as there has been limited research done about these interactions. 

“There's a lot of misinformation and…lack of information going around about mixing medications…being on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and psychedelics. And it's like we can theorize and guess, that it’s probably fine, but you want to bet on that?” Weisbecker stated.

Another perspective Weisbecker worries about is the lack of emphasis around aftercare following a psychedelic therapeutic experience. Yes, there is proof to back up that these psychedelic experiences can be healing, for some, but this healing is next to impossible without continuing to seek out therapeutic services after the fact.

“​​I think the big, big thing which is missing, and is so easy to overlook, and so difficult to achieve, is the follow through and follow up. Because a person can have one experience that lasts a couple of hours, and changes the course of their whole life, potentially,” stated Weisbecker.

Regulations regarding a specific amount of follow-up therapy sessions, to unpack and work through what the individual experienced within their hallucinogenic experience, will be a combative approach in resolving issues or feelings that may have arisen during a hallucination. 

“It shouldn't be legalized,” Weisbecker reiterated. “On the other hand, it should be decriminalized. Like if you're on the streets and you have a little bit on you, you shouldn't go to jail.”