State psychedelics legalization and policy roundup — December 2025

This post is part of an ongoing series that summarizes state-based psychedelic reforms, intended for policy professionals.

California

Assembly Bill 1103, from Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-78), was signed into law on Oct. 10. The bill expedites state-level reviews of research involving Schedule I and II controlled substances, including marijuana and psychedelics.

The bill allows the Research Advisory Panel of California to fast-track approvals through January 2028 by assigning small groups of members to handle reviews asynchronously. This change aims to reduce delays in studies exploring these substances’ potential to treat conditions like opioid use disorder, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental health issues, particularly among veterans. Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions advocated for the bill, stating it would cut red tape and accelerate psychedelic research at California’s institutions to benefit veterans and advance the state of scientific understanding.

Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery held a hearing in November to consider two competing legislative proposals for psychedelic pilot programs.

The committee heard H.2203, sponsored by state Rep. Marjorie Decker (D-25th Middlesex), which proposes a broad psilocybin access program, and H.4200, sponsored by state Rep. James O’Day (D-14th Worcester) and state Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-4th Middlesex). H.4200 would establish a pilot program allowing mental health professionals to administer psychedelic substances under clinically supervised conditions.

The bill does not specify which substances would be permitted, so it may allow for more options than psilocybin alone.

Dr. Franklin King of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics testified in support of H.4200, arguing it offers a feasible, evidence-informed path that prioritizes safety and data generation. Sarko Gergerian, a Massachusetts police officer and representative of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), urged lawmakers to act to make psychedelic therapy available in the state, noting that residents are now traveling to other states seeking care.

The hearing signals that, despite the failure of a 2024 ballot measure that proposed to decriminalize psychedelic substances in Massachusetts, legislative interest in establishing a regulated framework for therapeutic use there remains active.

Maryland

Last year, Maryland lawmakers approved legislation creating the Maryland Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances, a 19-member panel to examine “natural psychedelic substances” such as psilocybin, DMT, and mescaline (excluding peyote). Recently, this task force issued its conclusions in an extensive 373-page report, complete with actionable policy recommendations.

The task force has recommended implementing a framework called the “Ensemble Model” for safe and equitable access, initially focusing on psilocybin. This multi-pronged, phased approach suggests the state consider four complementary pathways: regulated commercial sales, licensed supervised adult-use centers, medical/therapeutic use for qualifying conditions, and the deprioritization of penalties for personal possession.

The task force also noted that while these substances have favorable safety profiles, maximizing public benefit requires safeguards, including mandatory public education, health screening, and supervision by trained, state-licensed facilitators. The recommendations also emphasize restorative justice by urging the expungement of convictions for simple possession and clarifying that lawful personal use cannot be the sole grounds for child abuse or neglect proceedings.

The report concludes that “commercial sales regulation received strong support as providing the most comprehensive framework for quality control, safety oversight, and consumer protection.” Commercial sales would follow initial phases involving regulated access, similar to Oregon’s regulatory model.

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