Dried Psilocybin Mushrooms, photo from Northspore.com
Thanks to the efforts of activist group Decriminalize Nature, cities across the United States have decriminalized the possession of mushrooms containing psilocybin. From Oakland, CA to nearby Northampton, MA, city councils have voted unanimously to direct law enforcement to essentially ignore people who possess psychedelic mushrooms. Plus, the entire state of Oregon legalized shrooms via a ballot initiative in 2020.
Thus far, however, no state has yet decriminalized psilocybin mushrooms via the legislative process. Perhaps New Hampshire will be the first with HB 1349, a bill that proposes to make the possession of up to 12 grams of psilocybin mushrooms a mere violation with a $100 fine, instead of a felony.
It’s easy to be skeptical that such a change can happen here in New Hampshire, given the state was slow to decriminalize cannabis, but finally did in 2017. However, the tide is shifting on the issue of psilocybin mushrooms. The reason that city councils are voting unanimously to decriminalize shrooms is because they really do help a lot of people with serious mental problems like PTSD and depression. The studies on this are numerous and growing. It is hard for city councilors to deny retired military veterans who testify that psilocybin has cured them of PTSD, or people with terminal diseases who will testify that psilocybin has helped them be at ease with death. Plus, it has long been known that psilocybin mushrooms are safe to use, even compared with cannabis.
Drug Harm to Society and the User
As I pointed out in my testimony in front of the state house Criminal Justice committee on Wednesday, the most relevant thing they should consider is that the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled in December of 2020 that using psilocybin mushrooms for religious reasons is legal in New Hampshire. Jeremy Mack was arrested for possession of psilocybin mushrooms and convicted in Superior Court. He appealed, arguing it was his right, as a member of the Oklevueha Native American Church to use psilocybin as part of his religion.
In a UNANIMOUS decision, the NH supremes overturned Mack’s conviction, pointing out that the New Hampshire constitution has stronger religious freedom protections than the United States constitution. While the US constitution protects the right to religion, the NH constitution protects your right to worship God how you choose:
Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience, and reason; and no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession, sentiments, or persuasion; provided he doth not disturb the public peace or disturb others in their religious worship. -Article 5, NH Constitution Bill of Rights
Given this amazing court decision, the religious use of psilocybin mushrooms is already fully legal in New Hampshire. Now the legislature should catch up and stop the police from even arresting psilocybin users at all, by passing HB 1349. I am optimistic for its chances. At the hearing on Wednesday, the only person who spoke against the bill was a drug warrior from the NH State Police, who trotted out the usual scare tactics of “DANGER” and “THE CHILDREN”. Though by pointing out that his kids told him shrooms are available for sale in their school, he inadvertently admits the abject failure of his precious War on Drugs.
Here’s the full hearing video:
If you live in New Hampshire and want to help this bill get passed, please reach out to the Criminal Justice committee via this group email: HouseCriminalJusticeandPublicSafety@leg.state.nh.us and ask them to pass HB 1349.
Leave it to freekeeners to poison their bodies. I hope you realize people build up a tolerance to these mushrooms meaning you will need larger dosages of the drug called psilocybin. It’s a no win situation.
thats good…HEY… when i go onto fk…audio automatically starts ….which i dont like
Say Jacks, I thought I told you to go fuck yourself and stuff? Boy, you’re not really good at following orders, now are ya?
Anyway, get this. Turns out the FDA has granted psilocybin a Breakthrough Therapy designation on several occasions over the past few years to accelerate trials for severe treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder.
Ya know what they found out? Psilocybin was determined to be 4 times more effective than antidepressants. Isn’t that awesome? I sure think it is.
In this case, I would agree with Mr. Freeman. Personally, the only “drug” that I use is alcohol and I wouldn’t even know where to find these mushrooms. But, I have seen alcohol do far more damage than most drugs in terms of auto accidents, violent behavior, and addiction. I certainly see my minor drinking as being no better than a pot head smoking weed or somebody eating a mushroom that comes straight from the ground. And this was certainly a big part of some of the Indian cultures, like the Sioux Nation. We certainly have better ways to spend… Read more »
It’s a no win situation – Another freekeene drama queen troll making stupid statements. Those studies are preliminary. Do you know what that means idiot?
Psilocybin mushrooms are illegal they are considered schedule 1 drugs. You are such as stupid stupid idiot. You know nothing about this subject. Just a lot of garbled rant and raves. Do you homework and stay off the freekeene comments.
Geez, Jacks. It’s too bad you’re still only a lowly doctoral candidate, huh? Because if you were a full-blown doctor you’d know that over the last few years promising preliminary research has also shown psilocybin to be effective in helping terminal cancer patients manage end of life anxiety.
Dying from cancer is tough. Don’tcha think that dying people should be allowed some relief from the stress of that? Ha ha. Just kidding, Jacks. We all know you don’t give two shits about anybody else’s comfort and stuff.
Oh, and Jacks? Go fuck yourself. I mean that. 😉
Those studies are preliminary – More drama queen trollisms. If the drug was so good in it’s trials, it would already be used in the medical field. Funny, I don’t recall ever seeing it used in any practice. If I were you, thank God I am not, I would stop with the BS about how I take care of my patients. You see, I did the work. I went to college and I am achieving my goals. You, just sit in a one bedroom apartment with a cable line to your wearing out computer. Yeah, I would never even consider… Read more »
Wow Jacks. You went to college too? That’s outstanding. Anyway, for some reason I always picture you as having a nose ring and stuff. Weird, huh? I’ll bet you got your nose pierced and everything while you were college, now didn’tcha? Ya know, I thought about doing that once but I chickened out and got a neat tattoo instead. Pretty cool, right? Anyway, guess what else? While I was taking a shit this morning I read that there’s this seven site Phase 2 clinical trial currently underway to test the efficacy of single dose psilocybin on subjects with treatment-resistant depression.… Read more »