Vic Mensa is pleading guilty to possession of a controlled substance after striking a deal with prosecutors, which will see him receive 12 months of unsupervised probation. Mensa was arrested for attempting to pass through customs with a stash of shrooms at Dulles International airport, back in January.
In addition to probation, Mensa will have to take a substance abuse assessment, perform 25 hours of community service, and pay a $1k fine. If he successfully completes all of the terms, he’ll be given back half of the fine.
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Possession of a Schedule III controlled substance is classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor.
“In this case, I have decided to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge,” Mensa confirmed to TMZ. “I have been extremely vocal about my mental health, the culture at large and access to mental health treatment. It is important to note the extensive research being done on the topic of psilocybin [shrooms] and the many significant movements underway for legalization and decriminalization.”
Further commenting on the medical potential of psilocybin, he continued: “Esteemed universities such as Johns Hopkins, University of California, NYU, Mount Sinai School of Medicine and The Imperial College of London have all immersed themselves in years-long research programs with full departments and centers dedicated to this work. Unfortunately, our laws have not kept up with the research showing that psychedelic plants and compounds can be successfully used to treat otherwise treatment-resistant mental illness.
“I have contributed positively to many communities and will continue to do so with this case. My hope is that the silver lining to this matter will be increased focus on the effectiveness of psychedelics to treat mental illness and mood disorders that millions are battling with depression and anxiety with hope that all of our laws will change accordingly.”
[Via]