The Oakland city council has made history becoming the first in the US to vote enthusiastically and unanimously Tuesday evening to decriminalize the use and possession of psilocybin mushrooms and other entheogenic and natural psychoactive plants and fungi. The measure calls for police to stop investigating adults using medicines sourced from any schedule one plant except for coca and poppies. This will include ayahuasca (and other DMT containing plants), peyote, San Pedro (huachuma), ibogaine/iboga and psilocybin mushrooms.
Yesterday, dozens of activists gathered at Oakland City Hall and testified that psychedelics helped them to overcome debilitating disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and drug addiction. There were only two opponents arguing against the measure, but they didn’t have very compelling evidence considering recent research has proven psychedelic plants and fungi are not habit forming and have prodigious medicinal value.
The initiative was led by Decriminalize Nature Oakland, an advocacy group aimed at decriminalizing entheogenic plants, restoring our root connection to nature, and improving human health and well-being. The organization plans to host related campaigns in multiple cities throughout California.
“Entheogenic plants and fungi are tremendous for helping to enable healing, particularly for folks who have experienced trauma in their lives,” Carlos Plazola, chair of Decriminalize Nature Oakland, said. “These plants are being recommended pretty extensively undercover, underground, by doctors and therapists.”
A ballot measure in Denver to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms was approved earlier this year. Likewise, Similar efforts to make psilocybin accessible to those in need are currently underway in Oregon and Iowa.
