HARTFORD, Conn. (1010 WINS) — A Connecticut bill that would decriminalize possession of under half an ounce of hallucinogenic psilocybin mushrooms was approved by the Judiciary Committee, advancing the legislation to the state House of Representatives.
The bill would reduce the current penalty of up to a year in prison to a $150 fine, or an up-to-$500 fine for subsequent offenses.
The committee vote played out mostly along party lines, with Republicans voting against it and Democrats voting for it.
Most hallucinogens, including psilocybin, have been classified as schedule one drugs under the Controlled Substances Act since 1971.
Schedule one is the highest restriction placed on drugs. It prevents the use of that drug in medicine and can make scientific studies on the drug difficult, though the Drug Enforcement Agency has loosened restrictions on research in recent years.
Some states have started to experiment with changing the status quo around hallucinogens.
Oregon legalized therapeutic psilocybin in 2020, and Colorado decriminalized the drug in 2022.
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