San Francisco State Sen. Wiener Calls For Decriminalization Of Psychedelic Drugs
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- California State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) has announced a plan to introduce legislation "to decriminalize psychedelic drugs" when the legislature reconvenes in early 2021.
Wiener -- the State Senator for District 11, which compromises San Francisco, Daly City, Colma, Broadmoor, and parts of South San Francisco -- announced the plan with a thread of several tweets posted on Tuesday.
"These drugs have been shown to have medicinal value treating depression, PTSD & other conditions," he said in his first tweet on the subject. "We need to stop criminalizing drug use & addiction."
Wiener went on to cite how both Oregon and the District of Colombia made moves towards decriminalizing psilocybin -- the psychoactive element in psychedelic mushrooms -- in last week's election. Oregon voters passed a measure that could eventually lead to the legalization of psilocybin, while Washington D.C. residents voted to decriminalize psilocybin.
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Another measure passed by Oregon voters will decriminalize small amounts of hard drugs like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine as well as psychedelics. That measure calls for possession of those drugs to carry only a $100 fine, also a first for the nation.
Oakland adopted a resolution in June of 2019 decriminalizing certain natural psychedelics that come from plants and fungi, and the Santa Cruz City Council took a similar step earlier this year.
"There's strong support for ending the failed War on Drugs, which criminalizes communities of color & those suffering from addiction," Wiener said in a subsequent tweet.
He further noted that he planned to work with State Assemblymember Evan Low, who represents Silicon Valley, and Los Angeles Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager on the legislation that would mark an "important step toward a more rational, science-based, and public-health-focused approach to drugs."
In response to another tweet, Wiener said, "Broad drug possession/use decriminalization is the ultimate goal. We need to get there."
The California state legislature is scheduled to reconvene on January 4, 2021.
