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AP20:002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2020
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Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
Decriminalizes Psilocybin Mushrooms. Authorizes Dismissal of Prior Psilocybin-Related Convictions. Initiative Statute.
SACRAMENTO, CA - Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that the proponent of a new initiative was 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 proponents and to the Secretary of State, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponents and to county elections officials. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure is as follows:
DECRIMINALIZES PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOMS. AUTHORIZES DISMISSAL OF PRIOR PSILOCYBIN-RELATED CONVICTIONS. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Decriminalizes under state law the cultivation, manufacture, processing, production of edible products and extracts, distribution, transportation, possession, storage, consumption, and retail sale of psilocybin mushrooms and the hallucinogenic chemical compounds contained in them. Applies to individuals at least 18 years of age, and to individuals under 18 years of age as prescribed by a doctor. Authorizes dismissal, resentencing, and destruction of records for prior psilocybin-related arrests and convictions. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: One-time state and local court and law enforcement costs in the tens of millions of dollars primarily related to the identification and destruction of arrest and conviction records for psilocybin-related crimes. Reduced costs, not likely to exceed a few million dollars annually, to state and local governments related to enforcing psilocybin-related offenses, handling the related criminal cases in the court system, and incarcerating and supervising psilocybin offenders. Annual state costs to regulate psilocybin businesses, ranging from minimal to the tens of millions of dollars. Some or all of these costs could eventually be partially or fully offset by fee revenue. Potential increase in state and local tax revenues, not likely to exceed a couple million dollars annually. (19-0027A1.)
The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1884 and the Attorney General's tracking number is 19-0027.
The proponent of the measure, Ryan Munevar, must collect signatures of 623,212 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for Governor in the November 2018 general election) in order to qualify it for the ballot. The proponent has 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials no later than July 07, 2020. The proponent can be reached at (949) 702-1637 and ryan@decrimca.org. The address for the proponent is 1850 Whitley Avenue, Suite 612, Los Angeles, CA 90028.
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