We strongly oppose to SB58 which recklessly puts policy before science by authorizing the wholesale legalization of numerous psychedelic drugs that have proven to be both dangerous and unpredictable for human consumption. We urge California legislators to reject this very baneful bill and citizens to voice strong opposition.
There has been no conclusive evidence from scientific medical research substantiating the efficacy and innocuousness of the psychedelics. All drugs should go through proper FDA research and approval process for the protection of citizens. Psychedelics should not be treated differently.
According to Dr. Roneet Lev, former Chief Medical Officer of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, psychedelics can cause different negative consequences such as cardiac issues, seizures, severe depression, amnesia, acute anxiety, and hallucination, and are dangerous to both the users and other people. There are many medications for pain and depression without the serious negative consequences. Our veterans particularly deserve to use safe and proven medication.
Allowing for social sharing or supported use per SB58 is effectively giving the drug dealers a built-in defense. This bill also allows commercial transfer. This is to virtually legalize the psychedelics for recreational and medical purposes as well as commercial sales and group sharing all together immediately! Moreover, without adequate details in SB58 specifying the laws to govern the various aspects of such legalization, this is asking the legislators to sign a blank check!
At a time when California is facing big uncertainty due to the serious economic or financial problems, it is imprudent to allocate much fund to create and implement the new laws as well as to monitor and solve problems due to the legalization of psychedelics which are dangerous and deleterious drugs especially for young people.
Scott Wiener, the author, maintains that SB58 is a pivotal first step to legalize all drugs and end the war on drugs which, according to him, has disproportionately incarcerated people of color. This is indeed a ludicrous excuse! In actuality, drugs have been hurting people of color the most and many African American leaders can testify for that.
Who benefit the most if all illegal hard drugs are legalized? Why are these shameless, unscrupulous, and barbaric, so-called legislators keep pushing to legalize all drugs with every effort?
If all drugs are legalized as proposed by Wiener, many more people will use drugs and the crime rate will be much higher, causing insuperable problems in public safety and health! Then California may eventually become uninhabitable!
To conclude, we urge legislators and citizens to reject SB58 decidedly. This pernicious bill is heading to California Senate Appropriation Committee within the next two weeks. It is imperative that citizens write to Chairman Portantino and other members in this committee urging them to reject SB58. Attached please find a sample letter and the email addresses.
Sample Letter – No on SB58 Legalization of Pyschedelics CALIFORNIA SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBER CONTACT INFORMATION