On Wednesday, March 26, the New Hampshire State House of Representatives passed HB528. If approved by the senate and the governor, this bill will “reduce the penalties for people 21 and older caught with psilocybin, the psychedelic drug commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms,” according to Seacoastonline. Although this is a step I support, it seems odd for a state that has not yet even legalized marijuana use.
The penalty for growing, possessing, transporting, and using psilocybin will be changed from a felony to a violation for a first-time offense and a misdemeanor for second or third offenses. The fines for this violation could be up to $100 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for a third offense. This is a much more reasonable punishment than possible jail time for a minor, non-violent crime.
Democratic Rep. Alissandra Murray argued during the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee’s March 7 meeting, “Not only is this not really a dangerous drug, but it also has medical benefits that people are unable to take advantage of currently because of its classification under the Controlled Drug Act.” Murray went on to say, “While entirely removing it might be too big a step for this Legislature to take right now, I think this is a good compromise to start with.” For those who may not know the medical benefits of psilocybin, John Hopkins Medicine has found that it can help individuals with substance abuse problems, as well as helping to reduce anxiety and depression.
Knowing that there are medical benefits to psilocybin, exploring accessibility for those who may benefit seems logical. As Rep. Murray said, it may not be the time to change the legality of psilocybin yet, but this adjustment in criminalization is a promising step.
A further argument for decriminalization and eventual legalization of drugs like marijuana and psilocybin (which can be therapeutic and also do not exhibit the same addictive properties of other recreational drugs) surrounds the safety of availability. There is always the concern of where people are getting these drugs and the possibility of people buying and using drugs that have been laced. This is extremely dangerous and can lead to death. If N.H. were to eventually legalize psilocybin, it would be mitigating the risk of unintended exposure to more destructive substances and, therefore, keeping more of its population safe from harm.
However, while I do not disagree with the eventual legality of psilocybin, especially for medical purposes, I do think New Hampshire needs to take things one step at a time and think about legalizing marijuana first. Currently, marijuana is decriminalized and legal for medical use; however, the state has yet to follow suit with the rest of New England and many other states in legalizing it for recreational use as well. This being said, I believe N.H. is making a progressive stand with HB528, and I support its passing.
Sophia Tanguay can be contacted at
stanguay@kscequinox.com
