Last weekend, California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two important drug policy reform bills: S.B. 58, which would have decriminalized the use of four naturally occurring psychedelics, and A.B. 374, which would have authorized Amsterdam-style cannabis cafés. His main complaint: The bills were excessively permissive and did not involve enough regulation.
S.B. 58, which Sen. Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco) introduced in December 2022, passed the California Legislature last month by a 43–15 vote in the Assembly and a 21–14 vote in the Senate. The bill, which was similar to the groundbreaking ballot initiative that Colorado voters approved last November, would have eliminated criminal penalties for adults 21 or older who use psilocybin, psilocyn, mescaline, or dimethyltryptamine. In addition to possession for personal use, the bill covered noncommercial production, distribution, and transportation.
