The California Assembly is considering a bill that would decriminalize naturally occurring psychedelic substances.
A bag of psilocybin mushrooms at a pop-up cannabis market in Los Angeles on May 6, 2019. Photo by Richard Vogel, AP PhotoThe California Assembly is considering a bill that would decriminalize naturally occurring psychedelic substances, which research has increasingly shown has a variety of therapeutic benefits. A retired New York firefighter, who uses psilocybin, says first responders in particular have a lot to gain from this legislation.
On September 11, 2001, I was off-duty helping organize a fundraiser when we got the news about the attack. The world watched as New York firefighters worked around the clock, putting out fires and searching for survivors while breathing in toxic fumes. I lost 26 friends that day and spent months attending funerals for fellow firefighters.
The trauma of that experience put me on a long path of misery and despair. Over the next 15 years, daily life was a constant struggle, and on many occasions, I thought about ending my life. My world completely changed when I found the healing power of psilocybin, the psychedelic substance found in certain varieties of mushrooms.
Earlier this summer, I testified in front of the California Assembly Public Health Committee and shared my story. I was there in support of, a bill to remove criminal penalties for several naturally occurring psychedelic medicines, including psilocybin. Sitting alongside a veteran and psychiatrist, we explained to lawmakers the profound importance of bringing these healing therapeutic substances out of the shadows so people can safely access them without fear of being arrested or stigmatized.
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