“People seeking healing should not have to live in fear of unnecessary criminalization.”
By Jack Gorsline, Psychedelic State(s) of America
In a unanimous decision, the Portland, Oregon City Council voted on Wednesday to officially deprioritize law enforcement activities surrounding the personal use, cultivation and non-commercial sharing of naturally occurring psychedelics.
The newly-passed ordinance carefully distinguishes between different types of substances and activities, designating non-commercial, naturally occurring psychedelics—including psilocybin mushrooms and ayahuasca—as low-priority targets for the Portland Police Bureau.
However, the council included deliberate caveats in the policy. Peyote, a cactus containing the psychoactive compound mescaline, is explicitly excluded from the deprioritization measure. This exception was written into the framework to protect the ecologically threatened plant species and to honor the exclusive religious practices of Native American communities who have historically relied on it.
The ordinance maintains strict prohibitions against the commercial sale of any psychedelics outside of state-licensed frameworks; it also preserves all existing criminal penalties for impaired driving, leaving driving under the influence of intoxicants strictly forbidden.
Additionally, the measure leaves all existing workplace and professional licensing regulations fully intact, meaning employees and licensed professionals are still subject to their respective occupational standards.
Finally, the ordinance ensures
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