{"id":77359,"date":"2024-08-14T10:31:25","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T18:31:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/08\/14\/leaders-in-washington-states-capital-city-pass-psychedelics-decriminalization-resolution\/"},"modified":"2024-08-14T19:46:04","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T03:46:04","slug":"leaders-in-washington-states-capital-city-pass-psychedelics-decriminalization-resolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/08\/14\/leaders-in-washington-states-capital-city-pass-psychedelics-decriminalization-resolution\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaders In Washington State\u2019s Capital City Pass Psychedelics Decriminalization Resolution"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Leaders in Washington State\u2019s capital city of Olympia voted unanimously on Tuesday to pass a resolution locally decriminalizing psilocybin and certain other psychedelic plants and fungi<\/a>. It\u2019s the latest locality in the state to pass such a measure following similar changes in Seattle<\/a>,\u00a0Port Townsend<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Jefferson County<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The resolution adopted by the City Council declares that \u201cthe investigation, arrest, and prosecution of anyone engaging in entheogen-related activities should be among the city of Olympia\u2019s lowest law enforcement priorities.\u201d It also expresses support for \u201cfull decriminalization of these activities\u201d at the state and federal levels.<\/p>\n

It further states that \u201cno City funds or resources should be used for investigation, prosecution, or arrest of individuals possessing or using entheogenic plants or fungi.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two-page document does not provide an exhaustive list of every psychedelic plant and fungi covered under the change, though it points to substances \u201cincluding, but not limited to\u201d psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca tea, mescaline and iboga.<\/p>\n

The change officially takes effect 30 days after passage, said Councilmember Clark Gilman, who sponsored the measure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Olympia City Council was very proud to pass this resolution making psilocybin and plant-based medicine the lowest enforcement priority and to call on state and federal governments to decriminalize,\u201d Gilman told Marijuana Moment on Wednesday. \u201cOur decision was shaped by powerful testimonials and information that came from many community advocates, and we came to understand that it\u2019s a medicine and another way of people seeing healing and a better quality of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The move is backed by the group Decriminalize Nature Olympia, which began advocating for the change in earnest last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a victory for our community and a testament to the power of grassroots efforts,\u201d local organizer Ekaterina Henyan said in an email to Marijuana Moment on Wednesday. \u201cI look forward to continuing to support each other and creating a future where everyone can explore and heal in their own way.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Decriminalize Nature (@decriminalizenature)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Henyan emphasized that the push was a collective effort, thanking groups such as the national advocacy organization Decriminalize Nature as well as statewide and local partners.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been an amazing journey and a wonderful outcome,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The resolution, introduced in June, references the growing scientific and medical understanding of psychedelics, noting that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough therapy status to psilocybin for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder.<\/p>\n

\u201cDepression, severe anxiety, problematic substance use, post-traumatic stress, end-of-life anxiety, grief, intergenerational trauma, and other physical and mental conditions are plaguing many communities,\u201d it says, \u201cand scientific and clinical studies show the benefits of entheogens in treating these conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The resolution does not affect laws against driving under the influence of psychedelics. It also does not allow possession or distribution of entheogens in schools or the manufacture of entheogenic plants and fungi for commercial purposes.<\/p>\n

The Olympia Police Department appears to be on board with the change. In a memo to the council<\/a>, Police Chief Rich Allen said that retaining the ability to investigate crimes such as driving under the influence of psychedelics or possessing them on school property \u201cprovides the police department with the necessary tools to address public safety risks, while simultaneously honoring the council\u2019s intent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allen also noted that the department was unable to locate any records from the past five years in which charges or arrests in Olympia were based solely on psilocybin possession.<\/p>\n

Gilman, the councilmember, said that Olympia has been working \u201cover the past few years to reimagine our public safety efforts in ways that, rather than penalizing people, create a safer and healthier environment for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis lowest enforcement priority is much like de-emphasizing traffic stops and other low-level interactions that police have had with people,\u201d he said, \u201cto allow them to work on issue of public safety that are more of an immediate threat to people and to engage in a more positive way with the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Olympia\u2019s one of at least six municipalities across the state where activists set out late last year to pass psychedelics reform at the local level<\/a>. Organizers told Marijuana Moment at the time that the grassroots strategy was inspired in part by municipal psychedelics reform in cities across Massachusetts\u2014a movement that has since put a statewide psychedelics legalization initiative<\/a>\u00a0on the 2024 ballot.<\/p>\n

Following Olympia\u2019s adoption of the decriminalization resolution<\/a>, a representative of the statewide advocacy group Psychedelic Medicine Alliance WA told Marijuana Moment this week that the city of Tacoma is \u201cnext on the agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Congratulations Olympia on being the third city in the state to decriminalize! \"🎉\"\"🎉\"\"🎉\"<\/p>\n

Many other cities in Washington need grassroots organizers to make this a reality. If you’re interested, please reach out. https:\/\/t.co\/63R32VtZU2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Psychedelic Medicine Alliance WA (@pma_wa) August 14, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Gilman, for his part, said he hopes other local jurisdictions pass resolutions of their own.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that other local governments will follow Olympia\u2019s example,\u201d he said, \u201cand together we\u2019ll make the case to the legislature that these plant-based medicines are an important treatment modality that should be allowed.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the state level, organizers are also working to put a measure on the state\u2019s ballot that would legalize a number of plant- and fungi-based psychedelics<\/a> for personal use, including psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline and DMT.<\/p>\n

The action in Olympia comes as more governmental and public health organizations acknowledge the negative impacts of the drug war and encourage an approach based more on harm reduction.<\/p>\n

For example, the\u00a0American Medical Association (AMA) has now formally endorsed drug decriminalization<\/a>, adopting the policy position at its annual meeting in June. The body is calling for the \u201celimination of criminal penalties for drug possession for personal use as part of a larger set of related public health and legal reforms designed to improve carefully selected outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n

AMA also recommended adopting a policy supporting \u201cfederal and state efforts to expunge, at no cost to the individual, criminal records for drug possession for personal use upon completion of a sentence or penalty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dozens of\u00a0United Nations (UN) human rights experts have also called for a less-punitive approach to global drug policies<\/a>, urging member nations last month to focus less on punishment and criminalization and more on harm reduction and public health while specifically calling for \u201cdecriminalisation of drug use and related activities, and the responsible regulation of all drugs to eliminate profits from illegal trafficking, criminality and violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

And a recent report from the RAND Corporation urged that\u00a0\u201cnow is the time\u201d for federal policymakers to decide how to regulate psilocybin and other substances<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Both the RAND report and a separate study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), meanwhile, also indicate\u00a0growing interest in microdosing psychedelics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While researchers in the JAMA study noted that federal prohibition means unsanctioned use of the psychedelic could pose risks to consumers,\u00a0another federal agency recently acknowledged the potential benefits the substance might provide<\/a>\u2014including for treatment of alcohol use disorder, anxiety and depression. It also noted psilocybin research being funded by the federal government into the drug\u2019s effects on pain, migraines, psychiatric disorders and various other conditions.<\/p>\n

One substance not covered under the new Olympia resolution is MDMA, which is also emerging as a potentially potent therapy for certain conditions. Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected MDMA as a treatment for PTSD<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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FDA Proposal To Allow Hemp Seed Meal As Food For Egg-Laying Hens Is Approved<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Photo courtesy of Wikimedia\/M\u00e4di<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The post Leaders In Washington State\u2019s Capital City Pass Psychedelics Decriminalization Resolution<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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Leaders in Washington State\u2019s capital city of Olympia voted unanimously on Tuesday to pass a resolution locally decriminalizing psilocybin and certain other psychedelic plants and fungi. It\u2019s the latest locality in the state to pass such a measure following similar changes in Seattle,\u00a0Port Townsend\u00a0and\u00a0Jefferson County. The resolution adopted by theContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":77360,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77359"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77359"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77361,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77359\/revisions\/77361"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}