Salvia and Gypsum Weed (H 5063A)

The House adopted amendments proposed by the ACLU in addressing legislation that restricted the possession of the plants salvia divinorum and datura stramonium, or Gypsum Weed.  The ACLU testified before the House Judiciary Committee in February that these are both garden plants which grow all over Rhode Island, and that the legislation as drafted made even possession of the plants in a garden a crime carrying serious penalties.  Further, neither substance has been restricted by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, as each is being researched for potential medical benefits.  Agreeing with the ACLU’s concerns, the House amended the legislation to bar intentional possession of the hallucinogenic active ingredient in both plants, but not the plants themselves. The bill failed to receive a hearing in the Senate.