Last month, the Santa Cruz City Council voted to decriminalize the use of psychedelics. In addition, the measure notes that use of these plants “should be considered among the lowest law enforcement priorities for the City of Santa Cruz.”
According to Marijuana Moment:
Councilmembers revised the original measure in order to “to recognize the need for harm reduction and education for youth and families about drug prevention.” A provision was also inserted to clarify that “the sale, use and cultivation of Entheogenic Plants and Fungi to and by minors should be considered an exception that should require appropriate investigation by the Santa Cruz City Police Department.”
The word “cultivation” was also removed from provisions specifying the measure’s scope. But before the full Council vote on Tuesday, several advocates used the public comment portion of the meeting to urge that it be added back in, and members adopted that request before approving the final resolution.
“With possession and use being inserted without cultivation, that actually encourages the black market because there’s nowhere else to go,” Cummings, the mayor, said. “If people are cultivating it themselves they know exactly what they’re producing.”
The City still does not support the sale of psychedelics.
As CaliforniaMarijuanaPolicy has previously mentioned, several cities across the state and country have enacted or will enact similar ordinances.