Portland City Council, Maine has decided to give local enforcement of the laws against psychedelic fungi and plants a lower priority. They adopted a resolution Monday which emphasizes
The resolution was approved by a vote of 6-3. It states that arresting and prosecuting people who possess, use, cultivate for personal use, or share without compensation, should
The Councilor Anna Trevorrow stated at the meeting that “the opinion we are expressing here is that our criminal justice system should deprioritize use of psychedelic
The resolution covers all plants and mushrooms that contain psilocybin (or psilocyn), ibogaine (except for peyote The resolution states that Peyote was excluded because of its “vulnerable ecological status combined with its religious significance for Indigenous peoples”.
In the resolution, it is stated that “City of Portland departments, agencies or boards, commissions or officers or employees of City should avoid using City funds or resources to help in the State law would still prohibit the substances, but enforcement would be delegated to the city.
In the measure, the city states that enforcement of state laws against personal use, possession and cultivation of substances and their sharing without compensation “shall be one of the lowest priorities” for law
At Monday’s , Councilor Victoria Pelletier said, “I don’t know what we’re doing if the Health and Human Services of “I don’t know what we’re doing if the work we do isn’t actually centered around the impacted parties when we’re dealing substance use.”
Last month the council’s Health and Human Services and Public Safety Committee approved the resolution with a 3-0 majority. Members then amended the resolution so that it The criminal enforcement priorities for the substances will remain the same, whether it is selling, dispensing or possessing them on school grounds.
It continues: “Enforcing the state law against personal use, possession and cultivation of substances as well as sharing without compensation shall be among the lowest priorities of the City.”
The panel received public comments on the resolution before the committee vote last month. Speakers unanimously supported the change.
Wendy Chapkis is a professor of sociology at the University of Southern Maine. She also serves on the board of Decriminalize Maine. Chapkis told the
She said that while these substances may not be dangerous in terms such as addiction or overdose, they are still powerful and people should consume them in a safe and supportive environment. Decriminalization would make this much more likely.
Chapkis said last month the policy change would be beneficial to “older adults who are facing end-of life issues like extreme anxiety,” whom she called “people who shouldn’
She said that there is good research showing that psychedelics are effective in treating some of the issues that these people face, but that they often don’t know how to get
Chapkis, a Portland resident for over 30 years, said that she saw this measure as an “other opportunity for our City to lead the Way by joining more than a
According to a Chapkis email to the council in August that was included as part of meeting documents, Portland’s resolution was based originally on a similar
April Fournier, a councilor, said, “Really, the intention for moving forward is to look at this from a medical perspective. We are looking at how these plants
Since Denver voters passed a law decriminalizing the possession and use of psilocybin, in 2019, cities have been leading the Salem, Somerville Cambridge Easthampton Northampton have all passed decriminalization legislation in Massachusetts. Four cities in Michigan adopted similar measures, including Ferndale Detroit Ann Arbor Hazel Park
Oakland, Santa Cruz, and California’s state legislature have all passed decriminalization laws for psychedelics. The Governor will make a decision on this and other drug policy bills by October 14,.
Based on statistical modelling of policy trends, an analysis published last year in the American Medical Association journal concluded that most states will legalize psychedelics before
A national poll conducted in March found that a majority of Americans support the legalization of psychedelic therapy , and are also in favor decriminalizing substances such
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Photo elements are courtesy carlosemmaskype, and Apollo.
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