A man from central Maine holds homegrown psychedelic mushrooms that helped him manage severe depression after other medicines failed. Like others who use psilocybin to treat depression, he spoke about his experience on the condition that he not be identified because possession of the drug is illegal. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

Supporters of a bill that would decriminalize possession of psychedelic mushrooms told lawmakers Monday that the drug can help treat anxiety and depression, while critics raised concerns about a lack of regulation and the potential for negative side effects.

The proposal from Rep. Grayson Lookner, D-Portland, would decriminalize the possession of one ounce or less of psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in certain species of mushrooms, for adults age 21 and older. Psilocybin is currently a Schedule X drug in Maine, possession of which is a Class D crime.

“What we’re discussing today is simple,” Lookner said during a public hearing before the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. “Should adults in Maine face criminal penalties for possessing a natural substance that many find helpful for their well-being? The answer should be no.”

Oregon and Colorado, as well as Washington, D.C., Detroit and Seattle and other U.S. cities, have decriminalized psilocybin in recent years.

Maine has considered doing so in the past, although bills that proposed making psilocybin available to adults through state-regulated treatment centers failed to pass in each of the last two legislatures.

Supporters of Lookner’s bill, LD 1034, applauded the bill’s simplicity during a public hearing Monday.

“I’ve been watching psilocybin bills move through the Legislature and die for several years now,” said Aaron Parker, who spoke on behalf of Decriminalize Maine, which advocates for the decriminalization of plant and fungal medicines.

“Most of them kind of got lost, not because there wasn’t interest in proceeding with regulation but because the complexity of the bill made it come into too much conflict with existing state law,” Parker said. “This bill being very simply and clearly written, I think is a huge bonus as far as logistically moving this through the Legislature.”

Military veterans were among those who testified in favor of the bill Monday, saying the use of psilocybin has helped them process trauma and work through depression.

“I used to go to bed wishing I wouldn’t wake up,” said Cecilia Corey, a Hartland resident and veteran who said she experienced sexual trauma in the Air Force and also lost her son in a murder-suicide. Corey said in-patient programs for post-traumatic stress disorder and therapy weren’t helping. Then she learned about psilocybin and started microdosing.

“It was immensely helpful,” Corey said. “It took my extreme symptoms of PTSD from feeling like I was drowning in them to a completely manageable level. I’ve become a better parent, a better partner to my husband, and I’ve experienced relief from my depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms.”

C.J. Spotswood, a psychiatric nurse practitioner who has written a book on psychedelic medicine, told lawmakers psilocybin has been used to reduce chronic pain, depression and reliance on pharmaceuticals. He said one ounce is about three to six months worth of medicine for someone who is microdosing.

“This is not looking at someone who has large amounts or is dealing drugs or distributing,” Spotswood said. “This is about personal use and giving people access to medicines they don’t otherwise have access to.”

Law enforcement, including the Maine Chiefs of Police Association and Maine Department of Public Safety, oppose the bill, citing lack of regulation and linking it with broader concerns about drug trafficking and the use of illicit drugs.

Scott Pelletier, a commander for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency within the Department of Public Safety, told the committee that since January 2024, the Maine DEA has seized over 4.5 pounds of psilocybin. A majority of the seizures took place while the DEA was investigating drug traffickers involved in the distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine who also sell psilocybin.

“Like all illegal drugs purchased from illegal drug traffickers, there is no quality control, no recommended non-lethal dose to ensure the purchaser of a safe, therapeutic experience,” Pelletier said.

“We do not take any position on the clinical and therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, but we do not think that there is enough information for persons to consume it safely without guidance from a medical professional,” the Maine Chiefs of Police Association said in separate written testimony opposing the bill.

Rep. Donald Ardell, R-Monticello, raised questions about potentially harmful side effects from psilocybin. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that psilocybin experiences can be unpredictable, that negative side effects can include insomnia, increased anxiety and depression, and that it is not safe for people with psychotic conditions.

“I think … the same could be said of alcohol, and we don’t treat it as a criminal offense to possess it,” Lookner said. “This is about allowing adults to make their own decisions.”

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said it is neither for nor against the proposal, saying limited research has shown that psilocybin can be a beneficial treatment, but more studies are needed and the substance is still illegal at the federal level.

“Maine CDC disagrees with decriminalizing any possession of a substance for therapeutic purposes without the appropriate level of focus on patient safety,” Director Puthiery Va said.

“While there is a lack of practical guidance for health care providers and the general public, Maine CDC respectfully recommends that the committee consider the experience of other states as well as Maine’s experience with loosening regulations within the criminal code.”