New Jersey lawmakers may introduce a bill that would decriminalize the use of magic mushrooms. NBC10’s Lucy Bustamante has the details.
New Jersey could soon become the third state in the nation to legalize "magic mushrooms".
State lawmakers have introduced a bill that would decriminalize the use of the drug and allow people to grow and sell it.
Psilocybin is the chemical in the mushrooms that produces hallucinations but studies show it allows cognitive behavioral therapy to work better and faster.
These "magic mushrooms" have been successfully used as a treatment for mental health concerns such as anxiety, PTSD, depression and alcoholism.
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Under the proposed bill in New Jersey, the legislature will also further study the benefits of psilocybin.
If they do legalize it, anyone 21 and older could use magic mushrooms for medical or recreational use.
As for production and sales, the state health department would oversee licenses for facilities and labs.
Despite evidence of its medical benefits, critics are concerned about the drug's potency.
Currently, only Oregon and Colorado have decriminalized magic mushrooms. In 2021, Pennsylvania lawmakers attempted to push for further research on the drug but those efforts are still ongoing.
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