TRENTON, NJ – Lawmakers in New Jersey have taken a major step toward legalizing and regulating psilocybin for therapeutic use, advancing a measure known as the “Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access and Services Act.”
The Assembly Health Committee approved a substitute version of Assembly Bill 3852, establishing an extensive framework for the controlled production, distribution, and clinical use of psilocybin in behavioral health care.
If enacted, the bill would position New Jersey among the first East Coast states to authorize supervised psilocybin therapy for mental health and trauma-related conditions.
The legislation outlines an 18-month development period for the state Department of Health to build and oversee a licensing, testing, and facilitation program before psilocybin services could begin statewide.
State health board to oversee rollout
A 15-member Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access and Services Advisory Board would guide implementation. The board would include top state officials and nine public appointees with backgrounds in public health, clinical research, and psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Members would meet monthly during the initial development phase to draft safety standards, licensing guidelines, and training protocols for psilocybin service facilitators. The board would also advise on public education, patient eligibility, and dosage and reporting requirements for service centers.
Licensing and operational rules
Under the proposal, psilocybin production, testing, and administration would be licensed and regulated by the Department of Health. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and undergo background checks. Licenses would cover psilocybin product manufacturers, service center operators, testing laboratories, and facilitators, with annual renewals required.
The bill includes a microbusiness license option, limiting operations to 10 employees and 2,500 square feet, to promote local participation. Facilities must be located at least 1,000 feet from schools and meet strict safety and sanitation standards.
Structured therapy process
Patients referred by licensed health care professionals could receive psilocybin services in three stages: a preparation session, a supervised administration session, and an integration therapy session to process the experience. All psilocybin use would take place under facilitator supervision within approved centers.
Service centers would be required to have medical oversight and emergency protocols, report adverse events, and submit annual data to the Department of Health.
Patient protections and social equity provisions
The bill provides legal protections for licensed participants and prohibits employers from taking action against employees for receiving psilocybin therapy unless they are visibly impaired at work.
A social opportunity program would help applicants from economically distressed areas enter the psilocybin services industry, while an equitable access program would assist low-income patients with treatment costs.
Municipalities could regulate, but not ban, psilocybin businesses within their borders, and no local taxes could be imposed on psilocybin services.