While the suits in power were busy demonizing anything that made you see colors or question the meaning of existence, psychedelics have been quietly staging a comeback. And no, we’re not talking about your mate Dave’s dodgy festival stash—this is the real deal. Psilocybin, the groovy compound in magic mushrooms, is now being hailed as a potential game-changer for mental health, and lawmakers are finally starting to catch on.
Oregon and Colorado already blazed the trail (pun very much intended) by legalizing shrooms for medicinal use. Now, New Hampshire is flirting with the idea of joining the psychedelic party. A few weeks ago, the Granite State’s lawmakers pushed forward HB 528, a bill that would decriminalize psilocybin for adults 21 and over. Yeah, you read that right—New Hampshire, of all places, might just be the next frontier in the psychedelic renaissance.
HB 528 would decriminalize the use and possession of psilocybin for adults 21 and over. Introduced by Republican Representative Kevin Verville, the bill initially removed all penalties for psilocybin regardless of how much someone has.
The bill, introduced by Republican Rep. Kevin Verville (because, shocker, this isn’t just a lefty pipe dream), originally aimed to strip all penalties for psilocybin possession, no matter how much you were carrying. But, because nothing can ever be simple, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee tweaked it a bit. Now, getting caught with shrooms for the first time could land you a slap-on-the-wrist fine of $100 or less. Second or third offense? Slightly higher fines, but still no jail time. Honestly, it’s less than you’d pay for a round of craft beers at your local hipster pub.
During a hearing last month, Democratic Rep. Alissandra Murray dropped the mic, admitting that psilocybin is “not really a dangerous drug.” Groundbreaking stuff, we know. She also acknowledged that while completely yanking it from the Controlled Drug Act might be a bridge too far for now, this bill is a solid first step. “Hopefully, people will be able to treat their conditions if they need to and not face a felony for doing so,” she said. Preach!!!
“While entirely removing it (from the Controlled Drug Act) might be too big a step for this legislature to take right now, I think this is a good compromise to start with. And hopefully, people will be able to treat their conditions if they need to and not face a felony for doing so,” Murray said.
But here’s where it gets personal. Republican Rep. Kathleen Paquette, who also sits on the committee, revealed she suffers from debilitating cluster headaches—a condition so brutal it’s nicknamed “suicide headaches.” She shared that small doses of psilocybin have been a lifeline for others with the same condition. “People like me shouldn’t have to make a choice between living our lives and breaking the law,” she said. Mic drop number two.
Now, HB 528 is heading to the full New Hampshire House of Representatives. Will it pass? Who knows. But with the opioid crisis still raging (looking at you, fentanyl) and a growing mountain of research singing the praises of psilocybin for everything from depression to PTSD, it’s hard to argue against giving this a shot.
So, here’s to New Hampshire potentially joining the psychedelic vanguard. Because let’s be real... if magic mushrooms can help people heal and stop the cops from wasting time on harmless hippies, maybe it’s time we all just embraced the trip.