Washington County has become the latest U.S. jurisdiction that deprioritizes enforcement of laws against psychedelics such as psilocybin or ayahuasca.
The three members of Jefferson County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted on Monday in favor of a resolution that would make the enforcement of psychedelics law among the lowest priorities of the jurisdiction, and also voice support for decriminalization at the state and federal levels.
Heidi Eisenhour , a Commissioner at the city of Denver, said: “I’m a strong believer in community and I see this issue as an important one.” I hope we can lead on this issue, not only in our community but also in the state.
Last week, the board held a public hearing to hear testimony from the sheriff of the county and the prosecuting attorney. Law enforcement officials expressed concerns over a policy which would prevent them from enforcing the state’s laws and suggested that psychedelics only represent a small percentage of the cases they handle.
The board rewrote the resolution, knowing that they couldn’t decriminalize controlled substances that are plant-based, but they could show their position symbolically at a time when this issue is getting significant attention on the federal and state levels.
Kate Dean, Commissioner of Mental Health, said: “Some might say that this is a performance, but I believe it is OK to put this stake in the ground knowing that it will transform how mental health is handled.”
In the “whereas” section of the measure, it is stated that entheogenic drugs have been revered by indigenous peoples for centuries. A growing body of scientific research has shown that psychedelics can be used to treat mental disorders like post-traumatic disorder (PTSD).
The report states that decriminalization promotes “equitable access by protecting against the commercialization and regulatory structures that limit access. This ensures that the benefits from entheogens are accessible to all adults in the community, who can then pursue their chosen healing path.”
The resolution notes that many localities in the U.S. have passed legislation over the past few years to reduce enforcement of psychedelics. These include Seattle, Port Townsend, Washington State.
In the resolution, it is stated that, “While recognizing that changing federal and state laws or penalties are beyond its scope of authority, the Board of Commissioners wish to acknowledge the healing benefits of entheogens to its local community, and to declare its intention not to spend County resources on any investigation, arrest, detention or prosecution stemming from alleged violations of federal and state law regarding entheogens.”
The group resolved to support both state and federal decriminalization. They also committed to “add full decriminalization for entheogens to the agenda of the 2024 legislative session in the state, including advocating that no regulated legalization for any entheogens be done without first decriminalizing them or within the same session.”
The board also “requested” that law enforcement place psychedelic criminalization at the bottom of its list of priorities, and that county resources not be used to support this enforcement.
The measure also encourages the county agencies to develop “adaptive and nuanced responses to the use and abuse of controlled substances, including harm reduction strategies and recognition of substance abuse disorder as a health issue. It also encourages them to use the criminal law system to help individuals recover and get treatment, as well as to maintain public safety in their communities.
It also “recommends” that the federal and state agencies enforcing laws move toward a decriminalization policy for adults who use entheogens.
This action is in line with several recent drug policy developments, including the passage of a bill to create a psilocybin treatment pilot program which was sent to Governor last month.
Oregon, a neighboring state, has issued the first state licenses for regulated healing centers. Adults can now receive the psychedelic therapy in a medically-supervised environment. This is being done following the voter approval of an historic ballot initiative 2020.
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As the local movement has grown rapidly in recent years, lawmakers across the nation have sought to reform psychedelics policies.
is heading for the Senate floor in California under an accelerated process that allows it to bypass further committee consideration.
Last week, the Colorado House of Representatives passed a bill that was approved by the Senate to establish a regulatory framework under an initiative backed by voters for legal psychedelics.
The Minnesota House passed a health omnibus bill recently that includes provisions for the creation of a psychedelics Task Force to prepare Minnesota for possible legalization.
A bipartisan group and a Republican North Carolina legislator filed a bill last month to create a grant program of $5 million to support research on the potential therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, and to create a Breakthrough Therapies Research Advisory Board.
After receiving final approval from the Senate, a Washington State bill that promotes research into psilocybin as well as creates a pilot program for therapeutic access to psychedelics in mental health treatment will be sent to the Governor’s desk.
Last month, a Nevada Senate Committee approved a revised version of a bill that would establish a new group to study psychedelics as well as develop a plan for regulated access to therapeutic purposes.
Last month, the Hawaii Senate passed a bill to establish an advisory council that would examine possible regulations to allow access to federal “breakthrough therapy” such as psilocybin or MDMA.
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 2037.
A national survey published last month revealed that a majority of U.S. citizens support the legalization of psychedelic therapy, and are in favor decriminalizing substances such as psilocybin or MDMA.
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Photo by Dick Culbert.
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