Santa Cruz, California is now the third city in the United States to decriminalized psychedelics. The measure passed on Tuesday, January 2020.
View Resolution Link
Resolution Reference List given to council members
The measure states that the city should not utilize “resources in the investigation and arrest of persons twenty-one (21) years of age and older solely for the personal use and personal possession of Entheogenic Plants and Fungi” such as psilocybin, ayahuasca and ibogaine.”
Council members revised the wording of the original measure in order ” “to recognize the need for harm reduction and education for youth and families about drug prevention.” A provision was also inserted to clarify that “the sale, use and cultivation of Entheogenic Plants and Fungi to and by minors should be considered an exception that should require appropriate investigation by the Santa Cruz City Police Department.”
Although the resolution won’t allow the legal sales of psychedelics, another group of advocates is currently collecting signatures with the end goal of having a statewide psilocybin legalization introduced to California voters on the November ballot.
The city vice mayor, Justin Cummings, introduced the resolution, which makes possession, use and cultivation of entheogenic substances such as psilocybin mushrooms and ayahuasca the city’s lowest law enforcement priority.
“Plants and fungi with psychedelic properties have been used for thousands of years by indigenous communities for spiritual and medical practices and many are considered illegal in our country,” Cummings told Marijuana Moment in an email. “As we begin to better understand the health benefits of these plants and fungi, we need to not treat the people who use and research these plants and fungi as criminals, and lower barriers for research, clinical treatment, and personal.”