Short answer: psilocybin mushrooms are still technically illegal in California — but the practical picture is far more nuanced, and it keeps shifting toward reform.
The letter of the law
Under California law, psilocybin and psilocin are controlled substances; possession, sale and cultivation remain criminal offenses on paper. Statewide decriminalization bills have repeatedly passed the legislature in recent years before being vetoed or stalling — a sign of how close the state has come.
The reality on the ground
- City deprioritization: Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Arcata and Berkeley have formally made enforcement of entheogenic plant offenses among their lowest police priorities.
- Personal possession: simple possession for personal use is rarely prosecuted in most of urban California.
- Spores: mushroom spores are sold openly (they contain no psilocybin) — cultivation is where the law kicks in.
What about Oregon and Colorado?
Oregon and Colorado run licensed, supervised psilocybin programs — proof-of-concept models that California legislators cite constantly. Most observers expect California to follow within a few legislative cycles, likely starting with a therapeutic framework.
What this means for you
This article is information, not legal advice. But the direction of travel is unmistakable: research keeps validating psilocybin's therapeutic potential, cities keep deprioritizing, and public support keeps climbing. In the meantime, adults across Los Angeles, Orange County and Riverside know where to find us.