New Jersey Lawmakers Amend Psilocybin Bill To Focus Only On Therapeutic Use, Removing Broader Legalization Provisions

A New Jersey Assembly committee has adopted an amendment to a psilocybin bill that aligns its provisions with a Senate companion version, removing language to more broadly legalize the psychedelic and instead focusing on therapeutic use.

The Assembly Health Committee on Monday took testimony from experts before approving the amendment to the Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access and Services Act, which is being sponsored by Assemblymembers Herb Conaway (D), Clinton Calabrese (D) and Anthony Verrelli (D).

This comes just over a week after a Senate committee revised and passed that chamber’s version of the psilocybin proposal from Senate President Nick Scutari (D) and others.

The intent of the proposal is to “deal with and address the very real deficiencies that we are finding in terms of treatment for those who are in distress and not yet not able to obtain therapeutic benefit by alternate means,” Conaway, who chairs the Assembly panel, said at Monday’s meeting. “We’ll see as we move forward how this bill shapes up.”

Initially, the legislation was introduced this year in identical form to what lawmakers proposed last session—a plan that included personal legalization provisions, which the recent amended versions takes out. Those components would have made it legal for adults to “possess, store, use, ingest, inhale, process, transport, deliver without consideration, or distribute without consideration, four grams or less of psilocybin.”

The amended measures would nevertheless significantly expand on legislation introduced in late 2020 to reduce penalties for possession of up to one ounce of psilocybin. That reform that was signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy (D) in 2021.

In its amended version, the bill would charge the Department of Health (DOH) with licensing and regulating the manufacture, testing, transport, delivery, sale and purchase of psilocybin. There would be five license types: manufacturer, service center operator, testing laboratory, facilitator and psilocybin worker.

A Psilocybin Advisory Board would establish qualifying medical conditions for use, propose guidelines for psilocybin services and dosage, craft safety screenings and informed consent practices and oversee facilitator education, training and conduct.

Its stated goal would be to develop a long-term strategic plan for safe, accessible and affordable access to psilocybin for all people 21 and older.

Toward that goal, a social equity program would be tasked with establishing financial assistance to help low-income people cover costs of psilocybin services. DOH would also be directed to establish programs for technical assistance, reduced fees and other support services.

In furtherance of the shift toward a therapeutic-focused model, the substitute bill changes references to “clients” to “patients,” and “integrated session” has been replaced with “integrated therapy session.” It also removes all references to the existing Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

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