Santa Cruz Decriminalizes Psychedelic Mushrooms In Unanimous Vote

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By John Vibes / Truth Theory

The city of Santa Cruz in Central California has become the most recent municipality to decriminalize the use of psychedelic mushrooms.

This week, the measure passed The City Council of Santa Cruz with a unanimous vote to make the investigation and arrest a low priority for “the adult possession, use or cultivation of psychoactive plants and fungi.”

Councilmember Chris Krohn told ABC News that the new initiative is part of a broader plan to treat mental health in the community.

“This resolution ensures that only people 21 and over have access to these plants and the Council has given direction to our Police Department to make it a low priority infraction. Entheogenic plants offer many in our community a way out of the addictive pharmaceuticals known as opioids. People came forward at last night’s meeting telling of the beneficial effects of how these plants changed their lives,” Krohn said.

Drew Glover, another council member who voted in favor of decriminalization, pointed to the long history of ancient cultures around the world who have “respected entheogenic plants and fungi for providing healing, knowledge, creativity and spiritual connection with nature.”

“With the passing of this resolution Santa Cruz has taken an important step in acknowledging the impact that the war on drugs has had on communities while at the same time giving people the liberty to choose how to address their medical needs, providing a potent tool to address issues like PTSD, addiction, and depression,” Glover told ABC News.

Denver was the first municipality in the United States to decriminalize possession of psychedelic mushrooms, and the organizers of that successful initiative are working to implement the same strategy in other cities and states. Similar measures have already been passed in Oakland, California, as well.

Significant progress has also been made in opening up psychedelic compounds to scientific study.

As Truth Theory reported last year, a $17 million psychedelic research center will soon be opening at John’s Hopkins University. This research center is the first of its kind in the United States, and the largest of its kind in the entire world.

Researchers at the new Johns Hopkins facility will be studying psychedelic substances and their effect on the human brain. More specifically, they will be seeking possible treatments for mental health issues like addiction, depression, PTSD, Alzheimer’s disease, eating disorders and a variety of other conditions.

The science in this field has been so convincing, that large investors are now working to develop pharmaceutical drugs derived from these compounds.

IMAGE CREDIT: Wikipedia

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