First, it was marijuana and now it’s psychedelics. In an exciting move, Seattle is finally working toward decriminalizing the possession of psychedelics like magic mushrooms, LSD, and more. It’s a move that’s been made in other cities across the nation like Denver, Oakland, and Cambridge. Sounds pretty great right? Here’s what to know.
The process of decriminalizing psychedelics has actually been in the works for a while. On June 8th, 2021, 7 out of 9 Seattle City Council Members signed a letter to investigate the potential benefits of psychedelics for therapeutic uses. The state’s Overdose Emergency and Innovative Recovery (OEIR) responded with a recommendation to decriminalize psychedelic substances at the state level.
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The event is today at 3pm! I hope you can join us. RSVP here 👇https://t.co/PjgywvStLU https://t.co/ohOQozQgaV
— Councilmember Andrew J. Lewis (@CMAndrewJLewis) September 8, 2021
Yesterday, City Council member Andrew Lewis hosted an online information session with testimonials from doctors and psychedelic users on how the substances have been beneficial to them. It’s a great way to learn about this issue if it’s something that you’re unsure about and lack general knowledge in. But the general consensus of this session is that these substances in conjunction with therapy can be incredibly beneficial to those facing mental health issues.
Not to mention, psychedelics aren’t addictive, they don’t trigger a dopamine response in the user’s brain. So that means both users of the therapy and Seattlites can rest easy knowing that this legalization won’t create further issues down the road. It’s an exciting time for Seattle and it looks like the ball will get rolling pretty quickly on legalization.
There is currently no set timeline for the drafting of an ordinance but it is possible that action could be made before the end of the year. So be sure to keep your eyes peeled because psychedelic therapy could be just around the corner in Washington.
