United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 360 is proud to publicly endorse New Jersey Assembly Bill A4911, authorizing production and use of psilocybin to promote health and wellness. Importantly, A4911 both decriminalizes psilocybin production, possession, use, and distribution, and expunges past offenses. Introduced by Assemblymembers Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson), Herb Conaway (D-Burlington), and James Kennedy (D-Union), the bill reflects research indicating psilocybin is non-addictive and can be effective in treating depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and other behavioral health conditions.
In addition to expunging past psilocybin offenses and increasing equitable access to beneficial healthcare compounds, UFCW Local 360 lauds the bill’s intent to establish “safe, legal, and affordable psilocybin service centers,” and its recognition that the expertise of New Jersey’s bona fide labor unions is critical to making that happen – as did the similarly named Senate Bill S294, introduced last year by Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Union).
“We welcome the introduction of this thoughtful piece of legislation,” said Sam Ferraino, president of UFCW Local 360. “It’s a worthy companion to Senate President Scutari’s bill which recognizes psylocibin’s great potential, faces up to the inequities of its criminalization, and understands the need to proceed in partnership with labor unions to build a sustainable, well-regulated industry.”
Thanks to the involvement, ongoing advocacy and organizing of Local 360 and other labor organizations New Jersey is building a thriving, employee-oriented and community supporting statewide cannabis industry. Local 360 looks forward to working with legislators and industry to replicate that success when psilocybin is legalized.
“The movement to legalize psilocybin is building because more and more jurisdictions recognize the benefits it brings, and the low risks it presents,” noted Local 360’s Ferraino. “There’s also a growing awareness that we must ditch the failed and damaging laws of the past and embrace the idea that a well-considered legislative framework can bring opportunities, benefits, and security where criminalization brought only hardship, pain and marginalization. New Jersey can be a real leader in this space, if room is made for labor organizations and for meaningful social and economic justice provisions.”
About UFCW: Representing 1.3+ million hardworking families across the U.S. and Canada, UFCW members support essential industries, including Retail, Warehousing, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Transportation, the Public Sector and Cannabis.
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Contacts
Hugh Giordano,
Director of Organizing,
609-367-5594
hgiordano@ufcw360.org
