Suspense Day Re-Cap: These Are the Senate Cannabis Bills Moving Forward

Suspense Day is over in the California Legislature. And, following the twice annual legislative marathon, all cannabis and psychedelic-related bills that we told you about last week have passed out of the Assembly Committee on Appropriations – with a major caveat for one of the bills.

SB 1186, the Medicinal Cannabis Patients’ Right of Access Act (Wiener), passed as amended. It would prohibit local jurisdictions from banning cannabis delivery to medical marijuana patients.

SB 1326 (Caballero) passed. It would allow the Governor to enter into agreements with other states for interstate imports and exports of cannabis, laying the groundwork for the transportation and delivery of cannabis across state lines.

SB 1097 (Pan) passed. It would require new warning labels on cannabis products regarding potential mental health effects.

SB 519 (Wiener) – which would have decriminalized psychedelic drugs like mushrooms and ecstasy – technically passed. But the committee removed a key provision that basically left the bill gutless. As a result, you can count psychedelic decriminalization out for the year.

“I’ve now confirmed that SB 519 – decriminalizing possession and use of small quantities of certain psychedelic drugs – was amended by the Assembly Appropriations Committee to remove the decriminalization aspect of the bill,” Wiener said in a statement. “As a result, the soon-to-be-amended version of SB 519 is limited to a study. While I am extremely disappointed by this result, I am looking to reintroducing this legislation next year and continuing to make the case that it’s time to end the War on Drugs. Psychedelic drugs, which are not addictive, have incredible promise when it comes to mental health and addiction treatment. We are not giving up."

For more information, see the full lists of bills passed by the Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees on Thursday.