Members of a two Hawaii House committees have approved a bill to create explicit legal protections around the therapeutic use of psilocybin, with eligible patients able to possess and consume the psychedelic under a trained facilitator’s care.
The House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs Committee and Health & Homelessness Committee passed the legislation from Rep. Della Au Belatti (D), with amendments, in separate 7-1 and 10-0 votes on Tuesday.
The measure is the product of a task force on breakthrough therapies that was formed last year to explore the issue, Sen. Chris Lee (D), sponsor of the Senate’s companion version, told Marijuana Moment last month.
HB 2630 would not legalize psilocybin itself. Instead, it would create an affirmative defense for qualified patients and their caregivers, effectively exempting them from state laws against psilocybin.
Prior to passage, committee members adopted an amendment to add a defective date, which is a procedural method of ensuring that the legislation receives additional discussion before being enacted. The joint panel also accepted technical amendments to define licensed mental health professional, for example.
The bill has also been referred to the Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee and the Finance Committee.
The Hawaii Department of
Read full article on Marijuana Moment
