The man who's trying to legalize psychedelic drugs in New York State was arrested for having them.
After a traffic stop near New Paltz last June 10, New York State police busted Aaron Genuth, charging him with DUI and possession of psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, MDMA and ketamine. and impounded his vehicle.
Ten months later, Genuth says the charges have been dismissed, posting at Facebook:
"Thanks to my excellent mentsch of a lawyer Andy Kossover as well as the overly egregious manner in which the cop manufactured the probable cause, all psychedelic charges have been dropped and suppressed and I only had to pay a traffic ticket."
Back in June, he told CelebStoner: "I got pulled over by a state cop in Ulster County for an expired inspection," Genuth tells CelebStoner. "I was not speeding and was totally sober. I refused a search, so he arrested me and searched, said he had probably cause because of the expired tag and a minor license issue. I have a really good lawyer named Andrew Kossover and I’m trying to secure his $8,000 initial retainer. I'll be doing some fun activist fundraisers and protests and campaigns about it. It’s a drag and a bummer though."
Aaron Genuth: "I'm looking forward to continuing to work to change the archaic, racist and unjust laws governing psychedelics, drugs and criminalization in New York."
He reported at Facebook: "I was recently arrested in the Catskills and charged with possession of a range of psychedelic drugs. I’m an activist for policies including decriminalized access to psychedelic drugs for religious and personal use through my nonprofit Darkhei Rephua and my positions as director of policy and outreach for the Hudson Valley Psychedelic Society and coordinator with Decriminalize Nature NYC.
"The heaviest of the charges I’m facing is for psilocybin mushrooms, which qualify as a felony and carry a minimum three-year sentence if convicted. I'm retaining Andrew Kossover, a very respected New Paltz attorney who supports my work and goals, and the advocacy I’ll continue through this process that I expect to be uniquely educational and difficult. No one should be arrested or prosecuted for psychedelics, including me."
Genuth received support via a GoFundMe page, which reads in part: "You may know Aaron through his years of work with Decriminalize Nature New York, the Hudson Valley Psychedelic Society, and Darkhei Rephua - the Jewish entheogenic nonprofit he founded. Aaron has been advocating for cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy reform for over 15 years, and has hosted/produced many community events in NYC and upstate over the years, in addition to his tireless outreach, advocacy, and media efforts on platforms like High Times, Lucid News, Chacruna, and the Jewish Psychedelic Summit."
Genuth spoke at the 2022 NYC Cannabis Parade & Rally.
He concluded at Facebook:
"Thank you to everyone who supported the GoFundMe or sent messages of support on any platform and via any medium! I'm looking forward to continuing to work to change the archaic, racist and unjust laws governing psychedelics, drugs and criminalization in New York."
This article was originally posted on June 29, 2022. It has been updated.
