Politics

Toronto board of health votes to decriminalize possession of small amounts of illegal drugs

[Canadian] Municipalities cannot unilaterally decriminalize drug use as it’s the sole responsibility of the federal government, but [the 12/6/2021] vote authorizes de Villa to seek an exemption for the City of Toronto from Health Canada. Dr. Leslie Buckley, chief of the addictions division at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, said “Criminalization of substances has not been…

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Politics

Fourth Massachusetts city approves psychedelics [and broader drug] reform…

“It properly frames these plants as belonging somewhere other than Schedule I”, said [City Council Member] Owen Zaret… the resolution is non-binding and doesn’t require police to deprioritize enforcement of laws prohibiting psychedelics – as has been the case in other cities across the U.S… excepting Lophophora and animal-derived controlled substances. [City Council Member Thomas…

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Medicine/Healing

[Mushroom resolution]

“Thank you so very much for all of your openness to communicate about this. Under the directive of the city council to educate and gain community support, we have collected over 330 letters of support, of which I have 270 here in my hands, that we’ve been turning into the city council,” Decriminalize Nature Humboldt…

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Politics

Denver psychedelics [official psilocybin policy panel president &] activists… allow gifting and communal use

President of the city’s official Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel, said the purpose of the proposal will be to ensure that people “have the liberty to gather in private group settings to celebrate and commune with psilocybin mushrooms without worrying about law enforcement intervention.” Denver activists who successfully led a 2019 campaign to make the…

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Politics

Grand Rapids [Michigan]… decriminalizing psychedelic plants and fungi

In layman’s terms: you won’t get arrested for having, using, growing or gifting psychedelics. “This isn’t a decriminalization per say; it’s de-prioritization,” said Grand Rapids City Commissioner Kurt Reppart. “It’s allowing for what’s called the ‘grow, gift, gather’ model… outside of that, the rest of this is illegal.” Original Article (Fox 17):GR is getting close…

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Politics

H.878 [Vermont act to decriminalize medicinal, spiritual, religious and entheogenic plants/fungi]

Psychedelic drugs in Vermont; a grassroots push for legalization picks up on lawmakers’ effort. Bill H.878, introduced by [a] Vermont State Representative… would decriminalize “certain drugs commonly used for medicinal, spiritual, religious, or entheogenic purposes,” including psilocybin, peyote, ayahuasca, and kratom, “It’s a waste of society’s resources to criminalize behaviors that stretch to the roots…

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Anthropology

Legislation to decriminalize… psychedelics moves forward…

Decriminalizing psychedelics remains an urgent issue. SB 519 does not decriminalize the sale of psychedelics or providing psychedelics to anyone under the age of 21… more time was needed to lay educational groundwork with members and the public… delaying full Assembly consideration of the bill… Original Article (California Senate):Senator Wiener’s legislation to decriminalize possession of…

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Politics

Psychedelic decrim bill SB 519…

[SB 519 proposes] language that would specifically allow someone who is providing for a group to possess, transport and gift far in excess of a personal amount…  …the hypothetical person noted in their letter who wants to gift a pound or two for group use is in fact clearly protected. For example, if a given group…

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Politics

California [SB 519] advances again…

The Assembly Public Health Committee advanced the legislation, sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D), in a 8-4 vote. This comes weeks after the Public Safety Committee approved the measure. While “social sharing” would have been allowed under the bill as introduced, those provisions were also reframed in the new committee amendment to provide for “facilitated…

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