The RI House Passed a Bill Decriminalizing Mushrooms (it still needs to pass in the State Senate, but this is fantastic news for the Ocean State)

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via: Newport Buzz

The House today passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Brandon Potter to decriminalize personal use of psilocybin, the entheogen found in so-called magic mushrooms. The bill would also, contingent on FDA approval, allow psilocybin to be used as a treatment for chronic mental health disorders.
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“This is a step toward addressing mental health treatment in a modern way based on evidence and research. Psilocybin can be used safely, both recreationally and therapeutically, and for our veterans and neighbors who are struggling with chronic PTSD, depression and addiction, it can be a valuable treatment tool,” said Representative Potter (D-Dist. 16, Cranston). “Adults in our state deserve the freedom to decide for themselves and have access to every treatment possible, rather than have our state criminalize a natural, non-addictive, effective remedy.”

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring entheogen that has been used by humans for thousands of years. Researchers in the United States isolated the compound in 1959 and began using it in psychotherapy. But as President Nixon’s “war on drugs” picked up steam in the 1970s, psilocybin was made illegal, preventing researchers from exploring its therapeutic value. Some scientists received permission from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct research starting in the 1990s. Since then, dozens of universities and biotechnology companies have found benefits for patients with chronic mental illness.

As chronic depression, anxiety and PTSD has risen around the country, many individuals and communities have begun using psilocybin as treatment. The Biden administration anticipates that regulators will approve psilocybin for therapeutic use within the next two years. In 2020, voters in Oregon approved the therapeutic use and decriminalization of psilocybin by referendum. Colorado voters followed suit in 2022. Several other states, including New York, New Jersey and Vermont are considering similar bills.

The bill (2023-H 5923A) would allow individuals to possess up to one ounce of psilocybin or grow mushrooms containing psilocybin at home for personal use. It would also require the Rhode Island Department of Health to promulgate rules surrounding the use of psilocybin as a treatment, contingent upon approval from the FDA. The provisions of the bill would sunset on July 1, 2025, unless extended by the General Assembly.

The bill now heads to the Senate where Sen. Meghan Kallman (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, Providence) has introduced similar legislation (2023-S 0806).

The roads in Rhode Island are about as smooth as an 8th grader's face. In most towns/cities, there are more abandoned buildings than occupied ones, and housing costs are outrageous, but I fucking love this place.

Rhode Island is beautiful, and while there's plenty of small state corruption and inactivity, it's where I want to live and ideally raise a family someday (unless I get a job that forces me to move, like, say, a barstool blogger...then I'll leave this place without thinking twice). There's a fair share of wannabe hicks, but for the most part, it's a very progressive state. That brings me a little comfort in a time when America Fascism is spreading like a cancerous tumor down south. This bill is the kind of progressive legislation I'm fucking talking about!!! Mushrooms are an incredible piece of the planet, and with all the terrible prescription drug issues in this nation, it wouldn't hurt to see the benefits of a natural solution to many of life's problems. Of course, Nixon fucked up the research progress with his B.S. war on drugs. Who knows how many lives this magical fungus could've saved? Veteran suicide would undoubtedly be lower had this option been around in the last half-century.

I've only eaten magic mushrooms a handful of times, but all the cliches and tropes are true. They're fucking incredible, and I wanna eat them with all my friends that I never see because "that's just how life is rn" (total B.S. excuse). Shrooms will open your mind and help you see things you need to see. You'll feel things you need to feel.

One of my handful of experiences was at a bachelor party in Vermont, and I just stared at the water and trees and felt the sun's rays enter every orifice of my body. It was incredible (until my trip came to a screeching halt when I fell off a land dock in a beach chair and landed in a bunch of moss. It was crazy; I thought I was paralyzed for a second because I was kinda stuck in said chair. That shit knocked me out of the trip, but it was still worth it and taught me a valuable lesson in making sure a chair isn't super close to the edge so when I sit down in it, the force of my body doesn't push it over the edge). 

Another time, I took shrooms at Tame Impala (obviously) and had what can only be described as a religious experience. Overall, I'm a huge fan and believe there are legitimate benefits to this "drug." Now that state-wide decriminalization has gotten over its first major hurdle, hopefully, the State Senate does the right thing for the Ocean State and gives us the fucking freedom to choose if we want to eat some shrooms without legal ramifications. 

The way I see it, everybody should take mushrooms at least once. I truly believe if everybody smoked weed, this country would be a much more loving and chill place. With shrooms, it's the same thing. They change you as a person for the better. I don't know how else to say it. Of course, bad trips can happen, but it's a risk worth taking. 

I'm souped about this news from a recreational standpoint, but the good this could do in solving mental health and other medical issues is immeasurable. Hopefully, the State Senate will do the right thing. I'm not gonna pretend like I know who the members of the R.I. State Congress are, but apparently, Sen. Megan Kallman supports the bill, so there's at least one vote!