Seattle Votes to Decriminalize Psilocybin and Similar Substances
- Councilman Andrew Lewis says city will follow Oregon’s lead
- Vote comes as Harvard group calls for rework of drug laws
Photographer: Roger Cremers/Bloomberg
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Seattle’s city council voted unanimously to relax its rules against naturally occurring drugs, joining a handful of other cities that have decriminalized psilocybin and similar substances since Denver kicked off a wave of such changes three years ago.
The city’s police will make it among their lowest priorities to arrest or prosecute anyone engaging in activities related to “entheogens,” or drugs like psilocybin and ayahuasca that are often used for spiritual or religious purposes, according to a meeting attended by telephone. Psilocybin, a mind-altering substance also known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, is classified by the federal government as a Schedule I drug, the most-restrictive category.