Title
A MOTION stating the council's support for continued entheogen-related research for alternative treatment modalities, structured medical models, and full decriminalization of entheogen-related activities and requesting that the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of any adult engaging in certain entheogen-related activities be among King County's lowest criminal enforcement priorities.
Body
WHEREAS, entheogen is a term that encompasses any living, fresh, dried, or processed plant or fungal material, including teas or powders, that may contain currently scheduled or analog psychoactive indolamines, tryptamines, or phenethylamines, including, but not limited to, psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca tea, mescaline, and iboga, and
WHEREAS, depression, severe anxiety, problematic substance use, post-traumatic stress, end-of-life anxiety, grief, isolation, intergenerational trauma, and other physical and mental conditions are plaguing many communities, and scientific and clinical studies show the benefits of entheogens in treating these conditions, and
WHEREAS, communities face unprecedented mental health crisis, unprecedented suicide rates, especially among veterans and marginalized groups, and a deepening opioid addiction crisis and the Washington state Legislature can contribute to removing stigmas through public education and supporting community mental health efforts, and
WHEREAS, the United States Food and Drug Administration-sanctioned clinical trials show positive results that demonstrate the safety and efficacy of psilocybin assisted therapy, and
WHEREAS, the United States Food and Drug Administration designated psilocybin-assisted therapy as a breakthrough therapy for treatment-resistant depression in 2018 and major depressive disorder in 2019, and
WHEREAS, human cultures around the world recognize entheogens as sacred and have used them as part of their cultural, spiritual, and religious practices for generations, and
WHEREAS, a variety of jurisd...

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