MJ moment

Following a Seattle task force’s recommendation that the city decriminalize psychedelics as a possible way of curbing opioid deaths, City Councilmember Andrew Lewis renewed his commitment to introducing an ordinance by the end of this year that would put possession of the substances at the bottom of the city’s law enforcement priorities. “For myself, it is a priority to at least introduce an ordinance this year,” Lewis told Marijuana Moment in a recent interview. “And frankly, if there’s sort of a consensus and there’s lightning in a bottle, I don’t think it’s inconceivable that an ordinance could be passed this year. I think it’s actually pretty reasonable.” Decriminalization of psychedelics—and eventually, all drugs—was one of five policy recommendations unveiled in recent weeks by the Overdose Emergency Innovative Recovery (OEIR) task force, convened and led by the organization VOCAL-WA and other community organizers. Lewis and another councilmember, Lisa Herbold, led a majority of their colleagues in formally asking the task force in June to “add to their work plan an examination of public policy governing psychedelic medicines.” Another group, Decrim Nature Seattle, is calling on the City Council to pass an ordinance decriminalizing psychedelics. The group submitted a draft ordinance earlier this year. Statewide reform advocates, meanwhile, are gearing up for a push to decriminalize all drugs in Washington through a prospective 2022 ballot measure announced earlier this week. Lewis hosted a symposium about psychedelics last Wednesday, featuring experts—including doctors, academics, advocates and a person in recovery from substance use disorder—who spoke mostly about the potential therapeutic use of psychedelics and their relatively low risk of harm compared to commonly abused drugs such as opioids.

  The councilmember spoke to Marijuana Moment after the symposium to discuss his interest in psychedelics reform, what’s ahead for Seattle and the possibility…

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Source : Seattle Councilmember Says He’ll Introduce Psychedelics Decriminalization Measure By Year’s End

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