Legal Status: Psilocybin in South Africa

In a landmark judgment delivered on April 23, 2024, the court declared that the prohibition of psilocybin and psilocin was unconstitutional to the extent that it criminalized the private use, possession, and cultivation of these substances by adults for personal consumption.

The court suspended the declaration of invalidity for 24 months to allow Parliament to amend the relevant legislation. In the interim, the court provided temporary relief, permitting adults to use, possess, and cultivate psilocybin mushrooms in private for personal use.