Psychedelics

Peyote, a cactus that contains mescaline, a hallucinogen, grows naturally in South Texas and northern Mexico. It is sacred to many Indigenous people, playing a central role in their ceremonies, spiritual practice and medicine.

A state Senate committee on Wednesday neither advanced nor rejected the measure, effectively sealing its fate as the Legislature prepares to adjourn next week.

In this monthly news conference, the governor said he is for cleaning the state's air but against the medical use of magic mushrooms.

Unlike the push to remove criminal penalties for drug use that saw success at the ballot box in Oregon and Colorado over the past few years, legalization efforts underway in red and blue states focus on allowing magic mushrooms to be consumed under supervision.

Organizers and their legal advisers argue a 2006 Supreme Court ruling protects them from prosecution and participants say they are taking part in a religious service. Some experts raise concerns that the benefits of ayahuasca haven’t been well studied.