Garcia looks to protect legal ‘magic mushroom’ use against federal intervention

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) introduced a bill Wednesday to prohibit the use of federal funds to prosecute the use of legal psilocybin, commonly known as “magic mushrooms.”

The Validating Independence for State Initiatives on Organic Natural Substances (VISIONS) Act would protect legal mushroom use from federal law enforcement intervention in places where psilocybin is legal. 

Psychedelic treatment provides relief for people — like veterans — suffering from mental health disorders, Garcia said in a statement. 

“Current federal law lags behind the growing body of evidence that suggests that the psychedelic treatment that psilocybin offers can provide relief for those suffering from anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders,” Garcia said. 

Federal law contradicts many state and local laws legalizing psilocybin.

In 2020, Oregon was the first state to legalize the use of mushrooms for adults 21 or older. Two years later, Colorado became the second state in the country to decriminalize the use of psilocybin. A bill in California to decriminalize personal possession across the state is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) desk.  

“For too long, the federal government has perpetuated a broken system that has denied patients access to the therapeutic potential of psilocybin,” Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) said in the statement. “It is time for the federal government to get out of the way of states like Oregon who are making progress.”

Garcia, the former mayor of Long Beach, Calif., was an advocate for the state’s cannabis legalization.

“The potential benefits of psilocybin have been overlooked for years and my aim is to protect the areas and states that want to delve into the real progress this treatment can offer for people in their communities,” Gracia’s statement said.