San Francisco Decriminalizes Psychedelics | leafy

Last night, on September 6th, the San Francisco board of directors unanimously passed a resolution effectively decriminalizing entheogens and their compounds for adult use.

The resolution defines entheogens as “the full spectrum of plants, fungi, and natural materials that can stimulate personal and spiritual well-being.” This list includes psilocybin, ayahuasca, DMT, ibogaine, and more.

The resolution covers many areas. It not only decriminalizes the possession of entheogens, but also allows them to “grow, cultivate, purchase, transport, distribute, and practice with them.” It does not contain quantity restrictions for entheogens.

The measure notes that “substance abuse, addiction, relapse, trauma, post-traumatic stress symptoms, chronic depression, major anxiety, end-of-life fears, grief, diabetes, cluster headaches, and other medical conditions plague our community” and the use of entheogenic plants and Mushrooms have been shown to be beneficial “to the health and well-being of individuals and communities in the treatment of these ailments through scientific and clinical studies and as part of the continuation of traditional practices that can catalyze profound experiences of personal and spiritual growth.”

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The resolution makes San Francisco the fourth city in California, after Arcata, Oakland and Santa Cruz, to decriminalize psychedelics. More than a dozen cities in the United States, as well as the entire state of Oregon, have decriminalized either psilocybin or all entheogens.

“I’m proud to be working with Decrim Nature to raise awareness of San Francisco in support of the decriminalization of psychedelics and entheogens,” said Supervisor Dean Preston, one of two sponsors of the resolution, in a press release shared with Marijuana Moment. “San Francisco joins a growing list of cities and countries that are taking a fresh look at these herbal medicines, chasing science and data, and destigmatizing their use and cultivation. Today’s unanimous vote is an exciting step forward.”

The committee’s vote is also seen as a signal to Sacramento lawmakers who recently scrapped a Senate bill (SB 519) that would decriminalize personal possession of small amounts of psychedelic substances statewide. This bill will likely be reintroduced next year. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Scott Wiener, represents a district in San Francisco. Yesterday’s city resolution calls on local lobbyists to campaign for the decriminalization of entheogens at the state and federal levels.

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Here’s an important caveat about the new resolution: Because entheogens remain Schedule 1 controlled substances at both the federal and state levels, police and prosecutors can still legally charge an individual for possession or sale.

Actions like San Francisco’s can only “urge” law enforcement to make entheogen enforcement “the lowest law enforcement priority for the city.” Whether that advice translates into official policy is left to SFPD chief Bill Scott and the city’s controversial new district attorney, Brooke Jenkins, who has promised to enforce drug laws more strictly.

Max Savage Levenson

Max Savage Levenson probably has the lowest cannabis tolerance of any author on the cannabis beat. He also writes about music for Pitchfork, Bandcamp and other bespectacled people. He is the co-host of the Hash podcast. His dream interview is Tyler the Creator.

Check out Max Savage Levenson’s articles

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