A New Bill Has Been Proposed That Will Legalize Mushrooms in Washington

When I heard that a new bill regarding the legalization of psilocybin use was making its way through the Washington State Senate, it piqued my interest a bit and flashbacks from my wild-youth zoomed through my head. Yes, I admit it, I experimented with what we called back then, "shrooms", during my teenage years.

I grew up on the west side of Washington on a small island between Seattle and Tacoma called, Vashon. Vashon Island at the time had a lot of farmland with cows and other livestock. A damp climate with cow pies and other fertilizers presented the perfect growing conditions for psychedelic mushrooms. These little buggers were plentiful and I spent significant time bent over collecting them by the bag full and regrettably I took them by the handful.

I was very young and my experience with them (psilocybin) was not good. Maybe it was because I took too many or my body reacted differently than others, but nearly every time, these things put me in a nightmare state of mind followed by severe depression after the effects wore off. Needless to say, my experimentation with magic mushrooms was very short.

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What is Senate Bill 5660?

Now, in 2022, the Washington State Senate has proposed Senate Bill 5660 which will make it legal to take psilocybin to support wellness and personal growth. The Bill states:

It is the intent of Washington to facilitate the establishment of safe, legal, and affordable psilocybin service centers to provide citizens of Washington who are at least 21 years of age with opportunities for supported psilocybin experiences for wellness and personal growth.

Wow, that is deep, man. The bill goes on to present more reasons why those who crafted the Bill think it's beneficial:

To improve the physical, mental, and social well-being of all people in this state, and to reduce the prevalence of behavioral health disorders among adults in this state by providing for supported adult use of psilocybin under the supervision of a trained and licensed psilocybin service facilitator.

So, if it passes (just like a similar bill did in Oregon in 2020), at least it will be regulated - and most likely taxed. Does this mean we will have dispensaries popping up (pardon the pun) on every street corner? Yep, and I can see the signs now, "Shrooms & More", "Mushrooms Galore", "Tripping in the Neighborhood".

When Will 5660 Go to The Senate Floor for a Vote?

I suppose that if the drug actually helps people and it doesn't create more problems - then it's a good thing. However, just like with other drugs, there will be a portion of consumers who will abuse it - especially in today's pandemic environment - there are a lot of people looking to escape reality. You can read Washington Senate Bill 5660 in its entirety here.

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