Interest in psychedelics is booming, thanks in part to the potential health benefits of compounds like psilocybin. Oregon and Colorado made history when they legalized magic mushrooms for medicinal purposes, and several other states are considering the same. Last week, New Hampshire lawmakers progressed their own version of psilocybin reform.
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HB 528 would decriminalize the use and possession of psilocybin for adults 21 and over. Introduced by Republican Representative Kevin Verville, the bill initially removed all penalties for psilocybin regardless of how much someone has.
The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee voted 16-0 in favor of the legislation—but with some caveats. Instead of zero penalties, a first-time mushroom-related offense could result in a fine of $100 or less. Getting caught a second or third time would increase the fines slightly but with no risk of imprisonment.
Committee members supported the measure, citing the therapeutic potential of psilocybin while acknowledging the need to free up law enforcement resources. As first reported by Marijuana Moment, Democratic Representative Alissandra Murray conceded in a hearing last month that psilocybin is “not really a dangerous drug.”
“While entirely removing it (from the Controlled Drug Act) might be too big a step for this legislature to take right now, I think this is a good compromise to start with. And hopefully, people will be able to treat their conditions if they need to and not face a felony for doing so,” Murray said.
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In that same hearing, Republican committee member Representative Kathleen Paquette revealed a personal connection to the measure. She told her colleagues she suffers debilitating cluster headaches and that small amounts of psilocybin have been found to relieve the condition for others.
“People like me shouldn’t have to make a choice between living our lives and breaking the law,” Paquette said.
HB528 will now be taken up by the full New Hampshire House of Representatives, though its chances of passage remain unclear. With so much research highlighting the benefits of psilocybin as well as the ongoing battle against drugs like fentanyl, the measure could potentially have a shot.
