Maryland
Psilocybin is illegal in Maryland as of 03 Aug 2026.1
- Corrected and re-checked against 2 cited sources at this review.
1. What the law is
HB 427 / Chapter 207 (2026): extends the Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances through December 31, 2027; signed April 28, 2026, effective July 1, 20261
Maryland has no legal route to psilocybin. It sits in Schedule I of state law, and no bill creating access has passed. What the state has instead is a task force. Chapter 207, signed 28 Apr 2026, extended the Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances through the end of 2027 and set an interim report for 31 Oct 2026. The task force has recommended a multi-pathway access framework. The legislature has not acted on it. Two ibogaine research bills died without committee votes at adjournment on 13 Apr 2026, and Maryland bills do not carry over. State law does not govern the research. A clinical trial runs on a federal application and a federal researcher registration, granted the same way in every state.
Psilocybin is illegal in Maryland. It is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Maryland Controlled Dangerous Substances Act (Md. Code, Criminal Law § 5-402), and the state has not enacted any program authorizing its possession, manufacture, distribution, or supervised use. Possession and distribution remain criminal offenses, and no decriminalization or regulated-access law is in effect.
Maryland's only enacted legislative activity on psilocybin concerns a study body rather than access. In 2026 the General Assembly passed HB 427 (Chapter 207), which extends the Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances through December 31, 2027, adds a member from a historically Black college or university, and requires an updated report by October 31, 2026; Governor Wes Moore signed the bill on April 28, 2026, with an effective date of July 1, 2026. The task force is a study and recommendation body only and creates no legal access to psilocybin, which remains a Schedule I substance under Md. Code, Criminal Law § 5-402. Separate 2026 bills HB 1477 and SB 527, which addressed ibogaine clinical-research grants rather than psilocybin, did not advance past a committee hearing before the session adjourned. As of this review, no Maryland bill establishing patient or regulated access to psilocybin has been enacted.
2. Pending legislation
No bill is on file in Maryland that would change this record, as of the 03 Aug 2026 review.
3. History
The laws behind today’s status, when each took effect, and every review since, in order.
HB 1477 / SB 527 (ibogaine clinical-research grants, not psilocybin) receive a committee hearing but do not advance to a vote.
Maryland General Assembly adjourns sine die for the 2026 regular session.
Governor Wes Moore signs HB 427 (Chapter 207), extending the Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances through December 31, 2027.
The only psychedelics measure Maryland has enacted extends a task force. That is not access, and the entry was corrected from mixed to illegal.
HB 427 (Chapter 207) takes effect.
Maryland's ibogaine research bills died at adjournment and nothing is pending. The state's psychedelics task force now runs through 2027, with a report due this October.
Maryland's record now explains something it never said: the state's drug law does not govern the clinical trials that run there. Those answer to federal regulators.
Date by which HB 427 requires the task force to submit an updated report.
4. Trials in Maryland
Interventional psilocybin trials with at least one study site in Maryland, drawn from ClinicalTrials.gov, EU CTIS, and ISRCTN. Registry data is reported by sponsors and shown as filed.
Recruiting, active, completed and closed add up to the 48 trials with a study site in Maryland, as of Aug 2026. Closed covers trials terminated, suspended, withdrawn or left unverified.
| Registry ID | Trial | Phase | Sponsor | Status | Started |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT07721467 (opens in new tab) | Neuroplasticity Enhancement From Cognitive Training Reinforced by Psilocybin (opens in new tab)Site at National Institute of Aging, Clinical Research Unit, Baltimore | Phase Phase 2 | Sponsor National Institute on Aging (NIA) | Status Not yet recruiting | Started |
| NCT07565493 (opens in new tab) | Psilocybin Administration With 5-HT1a Blockade (opens in new tab)Recruiting at Center for Psychedelics and Consciousness Research, Baltimore | Phase Phase Early 1 | Sponsor Johns Hopkins University | Status Recruiting | Started |
| NCT07610135 (opens in new tab) | Psilocybin Efficacy With or Without Pimavanserin Pretreatment (opens in new tab)Recruiting at Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Baltimore | Phase Phase 1/2 | Sponsor Johns Hopkins University | Status Recruiting | Started |
| NCT06902974 (opens in new tab) | Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Sexual Assault-Related PTSD (opens in new tab)Recruiting at Sunstone Medical, PC, Rockville | Phase Phase 2 | Sponsor Sunstone Medical | Status Recruiting | Started |
| NCT07053917 (opens in new tab) | Psychedelic Healing: Adjunct Therapy Harnessing Opened Malleability (opens in new tab)Recruiting at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore | Phase Phase 1 | Sponsor Johns Hopkins University | Status Recruiting | Started |
| NCT06793397 (opens in new tab) | A Study of a Deuterated Psilocin Analog (CYB003) in Humans With Major Depressive Disorder (opens in new tab)Site at Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore | Phase Phase 3 | Sponsor Cybin IRL Limited | Status Recruiting | Started |
| NCT06989957 (opens in new tab) | Psilocybin and Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (opens in new tab)Recruiting at Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Baltimore | Phase Phase 1 | Sponsor Johns Hopkins University | Status Recruiting | Started |
| NCT07180108 (opens in new tab) | PRoMiSS: Psilocybin and the Role of Music in Set and Setting (opens in new tab)Site at Center for Psychedelics and Consciousness Research in the Behavioral Biology Research Center, Baltimore | Phase Phase 1 | Sponsor Johns Hopkins University | Status Enrolling by invitation | Started |
| NCT06605105 (opens in new tab) | Phase III Long-term Extension Trial to Assess Safety and Efficacy of CYB003 in MDD (EXTEND) (opens in new tab)Site at Sunstone Medical, PC, Rockville | Phase Phase 3 | Sponsor Cybin IRL Limited | Status Enrolling by invitation | Started |
| NCT06656702 (opens in new tab) | Effects of Psilocybin in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (opens in new tab)Recruiting at Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Baltimore | Phase Phase Early 1 | Sponsor Johns Hopkins University | Status Recruiting | Started |
| NCT06772753 (opens in new tab) | Investigation of Psychedelic Effects in Psychoactive Substances (opens in new tab)Recruiting at Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Baltimore | Phase Phase 1 | Sponsor Johns Hopkins University | Status Recruiting | Started |
| NCT05403086 (opens in new tab) | Pragmatic Trial of Psilocybin Therapy in Palliative Care (opens in new tab)Recruiting at Sunstone Therapies, Rockville | Phase Phase 2 | Sponsor Charles S. Grob, M.D. | Status Recruiting | Started |
ClinicalTrials.gov data courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
36 more trials on file for Maryland.
The table above lists the first 12, recruiting first. The register opens on all 48 and narrows further by condition, status, and stage.
See all 48 Maryland trials in the register
Condition Healthy (7) · Major Depressive Disorder (7) · Treatment Resistant Depression (5) · Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (3) · Depressive Symptoms (2)
Phase Phase 1 (23) · Phase 2 (22) · Phase 3 (5) Status Completed (19) · Recruiting (15) · Active, not recruiting (8)
Registry records remain public on ClinicalTrials.gov and EU CTIS.
5. Common questions
Is psilocybin legal in Maryland?
No. Psilocybin is illegal in Maryland and is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Maryland Controlled Dangerous Substances Act (Md. Code, Criminal Law § 5-402). The state has not enacted any decriminalization or regulated-access law.
Did Maryland decriminalize psilocybin in 2026?
No. The only enacted 2026 measure, HB 427 (Chapter 207), extends a state study task force through 2027. It does not decriminalize psilocybin or change its status as a Schedule I controlled substance.
What is the Maryland Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances?
It is a state study and recommendation body. HB 427 (Chapter 207, 2026) extended it through December 31, 2027 and required an updated report by October 31, 2026. The task force studies policy options but does not create any legal access to psilocybin.
Can I legally obtain psilocybin in Maryland for therapeutic use?
No. Maryland has not enacted any supervised-use, medical, or regulated-access program for psilocybin. Possession and distribution remain criminal offenses under Md. Code, Criminal Law § 5-402.
Are magic mushrooms ("shrooms") legal in Maryland?
"Magic mushrooms" and "shrooms" are common names for fungi that contain psilocybin. Psilocybin is illegal in Maryland as of 03 Aug 2026. Some laws control the compound and the fungus separately, so this record states the position for psilocybin in Maryland.
Sources and confidence
Every status line is checked against the primary sources below. How each record is graded for confidence is set out in the methodology.
- 1.Maryland General Assembly.Maryland General Assembly (opens in new tab) · mgaleg.maryland.gov
- 2.Marijuana Moment.Marijuana Moment (opens in new tab) · marijuanamoment.net
Cited at the review
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently, and enforcement practice can differ from the letter of the law. Verify current status with local authorities before relying on this record.
Changes to this record
Every change we have made to this record, dated, corrections included. Nothing changes silently.
Maryland's record now explains something it never said: the state's drug law does not govern the clinical trials that run there. Those answer to federal regulators.
Maryland's ibogaine research bills died at adjournment and nothing is pending. The state's psychedelics task force now runs through 2027, with a report due this October.
The only psychedelics measure Maryland has enacted extends a task force. That is not access, and the entry was corrected from mixed to illegal.
Maryland: psilocybin legal status. The Psilocybin Record. Accession US-MD-001. Status as of 03 Aug 2026. https://psilocybinlegalization.com/record/maryland
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