Welp, it was on a good track for a while there.
The California bill that would legalize small amounts of psychedelics has been pushed to next year when it became clear it didn’t quite have enough support.
It had made it through a number of assemblies, including Public Health and Public Safety, then advanced through a second reading last week. It seems that yesterday, after being pushed back to the Appropriations Committee, the sponsor of the bill decided to turn it into a “2 year bill,” due to not having the votes to pass.
2/ #SB519 advanced deep into the legislative process — honestly, way further than I anticipated, since it’s a new idea in the Legislature. It passed the full Senate & both Assembly policy committees.
But we need more time to build support in the Assembly to achieve final passage
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) August 26, 2021
4/ The War on Drugs is a complete failure. We shouldn’t be arresting people for possessing or using drugs. And people should be able to access psychedelics to address mental health & addiction challenges. #SB519 needs to pass & California needs to lead on this issue.
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) August 26, 2021
So back on the shelf for this one, but it certainly has accomplished a new awareness towards the idea of legalization. Policymakers will be in a much better position next year when not having to introduce the Senate to the idea in the first place.
