Is Legalizing Magic Mushrooms A Good Trip For New Jersey?
So this is a big question here in New Jersey. Should psychedelic mushrooms be legal here in the Garden State? First, let's define what "magic mushrooms" really are. According to Kids Health, "Some kinds of mushrooms contain psilocybin and psilocyn, substances that can cause hallucinations. Used in large enough doses, these mushrooms have effects similar to the drug LSD."
In a recent article by NorthJersey.com, they described the efforts to legalize "magic mushrooms" in New Jersey for recreational use and to treat mental health. "It took at least five years of public debate, lobbying and bill amendments for New Jersey to make marijuana legal for recreational use in 2021. Now the state may do the same with psychedelic mushrooms — but much faster. After it was pulled back for revisions late last year, a bill was reintroduced in the state Senate last week that sets up a legal framework for the manufacture and sale of products containing psilocybin — the chemical in magic mushrooms that produces a hallucinogenic effect."
NorthJersey.com also pointed out some of the provisions of the bill to legalize "shrooms":
- The bill is called the "Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access and Services Act,"
- The bill is centered around mental health, its provisions would decriminalize recreational use.
- Anyone 21 or older could "possess, store, use, ingest, inhale, process, transport" 4 grams or less of psilocybin.
- Unlike with marijuana, residents would be allowed to grow their own mushrooms for personal use in their homes under the bill.
According to Wikipedia, "Oregon voters passed a 2020 ballot measure making it the first state to both decriminalize psilocybin and also legalize its supervised use. Colorado followed with a similar measure in 2022. The use, sale, and possession of psilocybin in the United States is illegal under federal law."
So what do you think? Should "magic mushrooms" be legal for adults for recreational use and to treat mental health?
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