HARTFORD, CT – The Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to send several bills through to the House, including one that would reduce the penalty for possession of psilocybin, also known as hallucinogenic mushrooms.
House Bill 5297, which would decriminalize the possession of “small amounts” of psilocybin, passed on a 24-13 vote. The bill would reduce the penalty of possession of small amounts of the substance.
For a first offense the fine would be $150 and subsequent offenses would carry a fine of between $200 to $500. Currently, possession of any amount of psilocybin is considered a felony where a first offense carries up to a five-year prison term and a fine of up to $2,000. Subsequent offenses under current law can lead to up to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine up to $5,000.
Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, voiced his support to keep the bill moving out of committee.
“Recognizing potential health benefits that veterans and others suffering from PTSD use it for, and push it in that direction,” Stafstrom said, later adding that the Food and Drug Administration has been testing the substance.
He said he wanted to make it clear that the bill would not legalize the mushrooms, but instead merely decriminalize possession.
“Possession of psilocybin under this bill would still be illegal,” he said. “Police officers could still confiscate it, could still destroy it, and could issue an infraction ticket to someone in possession of small amounts of psilocybin.”
There were some concerns expressed by Republicans about the safety risks associated with decriminalizing hallucinogens.
Ranking Member Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, said he would vote no on the legislation, and said that there has not been enough homework done to understand the possible effects or requirements of the bill regarding funding. In addition, Kissel said he doesn’t see how the new legislation will prevent possession.
“It’s basically taking what is a misdemeanor, which is pretty low on our scale of offenses, and essentially turning it into a traffic ticket – an infraction,” he said. “So it’s probably going to have little or no deterrent effect, certainly not a huge one, so it’s going to be utilized.”
Other Republican members on the committee said they were concerned about possible safety risks of individuals driving under the influence of psilocybin.
The legislature has debated the bill in the past and it made it through the House but never came up for a vote in the Senate.
Helping Towns Fight Street Takeovers
The committee also voted 34-2 to send a bill to the House floor that would increase penalties for those engaging in “street takeovers.”
HB 5413, which would allow municipalities that seize vehicles during “street takeovers” to destroy those vehicles instead of having to place them up for auction. The bill would also set up a grant program to fund municipal efforts to discourage street takeovers.
There had previously been language in the bill that would have resulted in anyone observing a street takeover – not participating – being forced to spend a minimum of 30 days in jail. That language has been removed from the bill, according to Stafstrom.
“Frankly, it’s nuts,” Stafstrom said of the removed language.
There are other bills that have similar language and provisions to 5413, such as SB 337, which was forwarded on to the Senate by the Public Safety and Security Committee on a 25-0 vote.
Stafstrom said it is his hope that HB 5413 would “be the vehicle that moves forward,” regarding street takeovers.
