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On Wednesday, Feb. 3, the Cambridge City Council approved an order asking the District Attorney and local law enforcement not to arrest or prosecute people for possessing, using, and distributing entheogenic plants.
An entheogenic plant is a psychoactive, hallucinogenic substance derived from plants or fungi.
In addition, the city council asked the same group of people not to arrest or prosecute people on the use and possession (without the intent to distribute) of any controlled substances.
At the very least, the council is asking law enforcement to make arresting and prosecuting drug users a low priority.
Proponents of reduced magic mushroom restrictions say that measured doses, the plant can be used to treat mental health disorders such as PTSD. Entheogenic plants could be turned into pharmaceuticals if decriminalized.
Critics say that not enough research has been done on the plant’s medical benefits to decriminalizing the hallucinatory substance.
Meanwhile, shrooms are illegal under federal law.
Cambridge is the second Massachusetts city to take steps towards decriminalizing psychedelic mushrooms. In January, Somerville passed a city order stating it should be a low priority of law enforcement to charge anyone for possessing the plants or any controlled substances, according to WBUR.
Both Cambridge and Somerville were aided by the Massachusetts Coalition for Decriminalization in crafting their orders.
Denver, Colorado became the first city to decriminalize psilocybin, a type of entheogenic plant, in May 2019.
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