A Massachusetts city may soon be decriminalizing the possession and use of most psychedelics and entheogenic plants. City councilors in Cambridge, Massachusetts, recently approved the policy order, which will also decriminalize all controlled substances.
The order was sponsored by Councilor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler. Wheeler stated that research had shown that psychedelic fungi and plants, such as psilocybin mushrooms, could be used to treat various substance use and mental health issues. The initiative directed the manager of Cambridge City to cooperate with state and federal partners to decriminalize psychedelics, which are currently classified as controlled substances, in addition to being illegal under federal law.
Before the councilors voted on the measure, six residents spoke in support of the initiative. One of them, Francis Guerriero, who is a therapist, told the councilors that he worked with patients who used the substances to manage conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, adding that most of those patients reported that the plants also assisted them with self-growth.
Research on the therapeutic uses of entheogenic fungi and plants has produced promising results. However, some critics still assert that more research needs to be conducted in order to understand the possible side effects of these plants.
Massachusetts Coalition for Decriminalization advocates helped the city’s councilors come up with the initiative. The advocates are currently organizing supporters from various communities. In addition to this, the group also came up with an initiative that was passed last month in Somerville, which was also made up of similar measures to decriminalize the entheogenic plants and psychedelics.
Similar to the measure that was approved in Somerville, Cambridge’s measure states that charging an individual for the possession of any controlled substances or psychedelic substances will be made a low priority for law enforcement in the city. In particular, the measure asks that Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan cease prosecuting individuals for the possession or use of controlled substances and instead treat drug use as an issue of public health.
The order states that the policy on drugs in America and the drug war has historically led to the unnecessary incarceration, arrest and penalization of vulnerable individuals, especially individuals with limited financial means and people of color. It goes on to say that instead of this, harm-reduction policies that treat drug abuse as a public health issue should be prioritized.
Middlesex County District Attorney Ryan didn’t offer any comment on this development when contacted by local media outlets.
Meanwhile, data indicates that the functional mushroom and psychedelics industries are growing at a high rate. With its background as a cannabis extracts company, Pure Extracts Technologies Corp. (CSE: PULL) (OTC: PRXTF) is well positioned to take the position of leader in these emergent industries.
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