mushroom drug classification

Publish date: 2024-06-24

New Jersey Mushroom Drug Laws

Amid growing scientific support for the medicinal use of psychedelics, such as the one found in magic mushrooms, New Jersey lawmakers are considering legalizing the substance for recreational or medical use. A bill introducing the mushroom drug classification, introduced by state Senator Nick Scutari, aims to establish a tightly regulated system of psilocybin mushroom manufacturers, testing labs, and “service centers,” overseen by the state Department of Health. The bill also allows people to grow their own mushrooms at home, although they would be barred from growing them within 1,000 feet of a school.

Currently, possessing an ounce or less of the psilocybin compound that puts the “magic” in “magic mushrooms” could land you in jail for several years. However, thanks to an amendment passed in 2021, if you are caught with the hallucinogenic mushroom drug classification, you will be charged with a disorderly persons offense instead of a more serious third-degree crime. Possessing a small amount of mushrooms is now punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, as opposed to the much steeper criminal penalties associated with other Schedule I drugs, such as cocaine and heroin.

New Jersey isn't the only place that's easing penalties for psilocybin. A few other states have recently passed measures to decriminalize the mushroom drug classification. But advocates say the move to wipe out some criminal penalties for possession of the fungus comes too late and may deflect attention from a more meaningful debate about how many licenses to issue, how high to set taxes, and who should run the state-regulated industry.

As in the marijuana market, experts predict the mushroom drug classification industry will become dominated by politically-connected companies that can afford to buy up large chunks of the state’s mushroom supply and control prices. The resulting cartel-like structure will create an unwholesome, commercial juggernaut that's far removed from the health benefits supposedly provided by the drug.

If you’ve been arrested on charges related to the sale, cultivation, or possession of mushroom drug classification in New Jersey, contact a Criminal Defense Attorney who can help fight to have your case dismissed or get your charges transferred into a Diversionary Program like Pre-Trial Intervention. An experienced lawyer can often avoid Prison time, Fines, License Suspension, and a Criminal Record by fighting to have your case dismissed or entered into a Diversionary Program for you. The sooner you act, the more likely your lawyer can be to win your case. 

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