Washington State’s 3rd largest city has approved unanimously a measure to give local law enforcement a lower priority and encourage full decriminalization on the federal and state levels.
The legislation—requested by Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards and Councilmembers Joe Bushnell, Olgy Diaz and Jamika Scott—declares “the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of anyone engaging in entheogen-related activities to be among the City’s lowest law enforcement priorities.” The legislation also encourages state legislators and federal policymakers remove the penalties associated with the substances.
Tacoma joins other jurisdictions in the state—including the cities of Seattle, Olympia and Port Townsend as well as Jefferson County—in adopting the reform.
Tacoma City Council approved a new measure that covers substances like psilocybin, ayahuasca and mescaline as well as any “living, fresh or dried plant, fungal or other material including teas or powders” which may contain psychoactive tryptamines or indolamines.
This report states that “scientific research and clinical studies” have proven the effectiveness of entheogens for treating a wide range of conditions related to physical and mental well-being, such as depression, anxiety and substance-use disorders. It also mentions PTSD, end of life anxiety, grief and isolation, and intergenerational trauma.
The measure notes that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has designated psilocybin assisted therapy as a breakthrough therapy for depression and major disorder.
The resolution states that “Communities are facing an unprecedented mental illness crisis and unprecedented suicide rates in particular among marginalized veterans and groups and also a growing opioid addiction crisis.” “The City can help remove stigmas by educating the public and supporting mental health initiatives within the community.”
The policy changes include adult planting, cultivation, gathering, transportation, distribution, possession and use of entheogens. The policy does not permit commercial production or sale, possession at parks or in schools, driving while under the influence, or conduct that “puts public safety or causes public nuisance.”
Bushnell described Tuesday’s resolution as a “demonstration of our commitment to exploring compassionate and innovative approaches to mental illness.”
He said that in the United States 22 veterans commit suicide every day. As a veteran with PTSD I am acutely aware that many people in the community suffer from mental illness.
Bushnell said that by declaring support for the decriminalization of these substances, we can promote further research for potentially life-changing treatment.
Diaz said that psychedelics can “really help people get through life’s toughest things” without relying on pharmaceuticals.
Sandesh Saalge, another council member, said that he had moved to Tacoma in order to assist with the operation of a cannabis farming. He echoed the criticisms of other council members when he spoke about the resolution.
Before the vote, he stated: “I believe we suffer as a community from these societal problems that were caused by for-profit companies whose bottom lines coincide with a type of pure addiction.” He said that part of this incentive included the exclusion from potential therapies such as these, because they protect their monopolies. It also supports policies which are steeped with deep-seated racism.
Sadalge stated that he supports the legalization of natural psychedelics on a federal level.
Tacoma Psychedelic Society members shared their personal experiences with the council about how entheogens helped them deal with mental illness and trauma.
Cole Schrim is a licensed psychotherapist who founded the group. He said that the new policy will give the people a “sense of autonomy” in their healing.
Schrim explained that it was a way to help people overcome their fear. “People of color, city workers, or people who are in the service industry, they all have heightened fear,” he said. It sends a strong message to people that they shouldn’t have fear in pursuing their healing.
Schrim said that although the state’s law prohibits psychedelics, the new resolution aims to build community support and encourage meaningful reform.
Schrim stated, “We are sending a strong message to Washington State by ensuring that our communities, through their local government and representation, respect and honor our concerns and stories.” Schrim said that the state government must start paying attention to all of these organized actions being taken by local communities to help this movement get off the ground.
Olympia’s city council voted unanimously in August 2012 to decriminalize psilocybin as well certain psychedelic plants, fungi, and other substances. That followed earlier reforms in Seattle, Port Townsend and Jefferson County.
In the meantime, a newly-introduced bill on the state level would adopt a more controlled approach to reforming psychedelics. SB 5201 by Sen. Jesse Salomon, (D), allows adults aged 21 or older to legal use these substances, provided they have a qualified facilitator. Manufacturers, service centres and testing labs would be licensed and regulated by the state.
In a recent interview, he explained to MEDCAN24 that it’s a revised version of a bill Salomon had submitted in 2023 with a few changes. In the time since, the lawmaker and allies have worked with outside experts—including authors of the Oregon and Colorado laws—and toured psilocybin service centers in Oregon, he said.
This 71-page law proposes a dual-track system of psychedelics. There is a clinical track, which Salomon describes as a track that focuses on psychedelics as a treatment for conditions like PTSD, treatment resistant depression, obsessional-compulsive disorder and “other serious maladies,” plus a separate track called “wellness.” It would also be open to adults who feel they may benefit.
It’s certainly not the intention of this lawmaker to only create treatment that is based on a diagnosis. “We already have wellness tracks, and I really want to maintain them.”
“I would never call it recreational,” said the man, adding that people wouldn’t have access to products in stores.
Outside the legislature, organizers in Washington are separately working to put a measure on the state’s ballot that would legalize a number of plant- and fungi-based psychedelics for personal use, including psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline and DMT.
Although the proposal does not permit commercial sales, “supportive services”, which would allow people to receive payment for providing psychedelic experiences. The proposal would also allow adults to freely share psychedelic fungi or plants with each other without compensation.
REACH WA (Responsible Entheogen Access and Community Healing Coalition) submitted this measure last year to the secretary. In June, it was given a ballot title and summary.
Separately, this week legislative committees held initial hearings on a number of marijuana-related measures, such as proposals to allow licensed cannabis growers to sell directly to consumers and end home cultivation’s criminalization in the state.
The two bills have yet to be voted on by the lawmakers, but they did hear from their sponsors. They also heard testimony from both supporters and critics of reform.
Washington became one of two U.S. States to allow adult use marijuana in 2012, when voters approved Initiative 502. Unlike most other jurisdictions to have adopted the reform since then, however, the state forbids home cultivation of cannabis for personal use—classifying it as a felony offense—and bars vertical integration within the commercial industry.
Since at least 2015 there have been several legislative attempts to permit personal marijuana cultivation, but each effort has so far failed. Only state-registered patients of medical marijuana may cultivate it legally at this time.
Oregon Psilocybin Industry aims to fine-tune state’s first-in-nation therapeutic psychedelics system in 2025
Images courtesy carlosemmaskype & Apollo.