California keeps trying to move on psychedelics — and keeps narrowing the ask. Here is a plain-language field guide to the four bills that defined 2023 through 2026.
- SB 58 (2023) — Vetoed. Would have decriminalized personal use of certain natural psychedelics. Governor Newsom vetoed it, asking the Legislature to build therapeutic guidelines first.
- SB 1012 (2024) — Died. Would have created a licensed, supervised psychedelic-assisted therapy framework. Held in Senate Appropriations over cost.
- SB 751 (2025) — Failed. A narrower, research-first psilocybin pilot for veterans and former first responders, tied to university oversight. It did not advance.
- AB 1103 (2025) — Signed. Authored by San Diego Assemblymember Chris Ward, it streamlines approvals for psychedelic research in California. Notably, it concerns research, not access.
The pattern
Each bill narrowed the ask — from broad decriminalization, to supervised therapy, to a small veterans pilot — and the first three still failed, mostly on cost and the Governor’s “guidelines first” posture. The one success so far is research infrastructure. For anyone planning around California law, the lesson is to build for the law that exists today, not the bill that might pass tomorrow.
Sources: California Legislature; Governor’s SB 58 veto message (Oct. 2023); CalMatters Digital Democracy bill trackers. Bill statuses current to June 2026; confirm the latest status before relying. Educational only; not legal advice.
The Enlightened Esquire 
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