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AP17:094

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2017
Contact:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation

Decriminalization of Psilocybin. Initiative Statute.

SACRAMENTO – Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced the proponents of a new initiative were cleared to begin collecting petition signatures yesterday. 

The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent and to the Secretary of State, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponent and to county elections officials. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure is as follows: 

DECRIMINALIZATION OF PSILOCYBIN. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Decriminalizes use, possession, sale, transport, or cultivation of psilocybin (a hallucinogenic compound) by persons at least 21 years of age. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Reduced costs, not likely to exceed a few million dollars annually, to state and local governments related to enforcing psilocybinrelated offenses, handling the related criminal cases in the court system, and incarcerating and supervising certain psilocybin offenders. Potential increase in state and local tax revenues, not likely to exceed a couple million dollars annually, related to the production and sale of psilocybin. (17-0024.) 

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1821 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 17-0024. 

The proponents of the measure, Kevin P. Saunders and Dimitric Merchant, must collect the signatures of 365,880 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for Governor in the November 2014 general election) in order to qualify it for the ballot. The proponents have 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials no later than April 30, 2018. The proponents can be reached at (831) 521-1469 or saunders4mayor@gmail.com.  

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