ARCATA, Calif. (KIEM-TV)- Wednesday night the Arcata City Council listened to testimonies that painted a positive picture of mushrooms and other psychedelic drugs.
After a split vote in the council, the proposal to decriminalize psychedelics is moving forward to the Public Safety committee next week.
It’s a step away from the war on drugs that was imposed on our country. California has already, not decriminalized, but legalized marijuana. It was at the same tier as mushrooms and other hallucinogen drugs,” said Schaefer, a member of the Arcata City Council.
Council members Sarah Schaefer and Emily Goldstein both voted yes on the motion, while Mayor Brett Watson and Vice-Mayor Stacy Atkins-Salazar voted no.
“I would like to hear from doctor and emergency room doctors about this first. We need to hear about their experiences and from mental health professionals,” said Vice-Mayor Stacy Atkins-Salazar.
The proposal came from the group called Decriminalize Nature Humboldt.
“Science is showing they are not addictive. In fact, they help people break harmful addictions like heroine, meth and alcohol. These are big issues in our community.”
Cities like Santa Cruz and and states like Oregon have already moved in this direction.
