SPOKANE, Wash. — A group of Spokane activists is working to decriminalize magic mushrooms.
Decriminalize Spokane is a movement to end criminal penalties locally for psilocybin mushrooms. It's Spokane’s version of the broader national push to make using the psychedelics easier.
Several cities have already decriminalized. Recently, voters in the state of Oregon went a step further making psilocybin outright legal for therapeutic purposes.
What exactly is the proposal here in Spokane?
It would make enforcing laws against psilocybin mushrooms the lowest possible priority for city police. It would also ban any city resources from being used to punish people for those offenses. This means police would be directed basically not to punish using, having, growing or transferring small amounts of the shrooms as long as the people involved are over 21.
It would all still technically be illegal but local cops and courts just wouldn't be allowed to use their time and money to enforce the laws against mushrooms. There would be an exception to that though.
The proposal would also make it a civil infraction, like a traffic ticket to use shrooms in public. All of this would only apply within city limits.
There are still a lot of steps supporters need to take. They've already taken the first step and submitted the proposal to the city. Now, a city official will decide whether the language meets certain legal requirements for the ballot. If they okay it, supporters will need to gather a few thousand signatures. If they succeed in doing that, the measure will be put on the city ballot. Then, it needs a majority of voters to approve it before it would become law.
Right now, all personal drug possession is decriminalized in Washington. The Washington state Supreme Court recently struck down the law that made possession a felony in this state and that law hasn't been replaced yet. However, that could change.