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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02112021_Reading_entheogenic plantsFrom:Erin Reading To:Tom Locke; Board of Health Subject:Board of Health Resolution regarding Entheogenic Plants Date:Wednesday, February 10, 2021 10:16:33 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Dear Jefferson County Board of Health, I'm reaching out from the Port Townsend Psychedelic Society to resume our efforts to pass a resolution affirming the health and safety benefits for Jefferson County residents gained by thedecriminalization of entheogens. We believe this issue falls squarely within your purview. We updated the resolution since we last spoke to reflect feedback we received from Dr. Locke (thank you, it was much appreciated!). We are also very open to your input on our currentproposed resolution: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZFQJ-SpJrjahyqxNJ3OVUPszuam3g1RXWvGYm8ZALls/edit?usp=sharing (Also copied below this email for easy reading.) Among the Board of Health's statutory powers and duties, we consider the following mostrelevant to our resolution: 1) That the Board is tasked with supervision over all matters pertaining to the preservation ofthe life and health of the people within its jurisdiction. Given the harms to health and safety caused by criminalization itself and the access/educationaround the healing potentials of entheogenic plants made possible by decriminalization, we believe our resolution falls directly under this aim. 2) Enact such rules, regulations and policies as are necessary to preserve, promote, andimprove the health status of Jefferson County residents, and guide the allocation of appropriate and necessary public health resources.Understanding that you cannot create rules that oppose existing laws, we propose you make recommendations towards reducing the harms created by the criminalization of entheogensand in support of increasing access to their benefits through decriminalization and education. We strongly believe that necessary public health resources should include access to accurateinformation about the healing potentials of entheogens and ways to use them safely and responsibly. (And while we are focused on decriminalizing entheogens right now, we also encourage ourBoard of Health to commit to proclaiming all drug use a public health issue, rather than a criminal one. Towards this aim, another public health resource we consider necessary is ananonymous drug testing service, so that synthetic drug use and addiction problems are not compounded by use of impure and often more dangerous substances.) 3) Collect, analyze, and disseminate to the community, through the Jefferson County healthdepartment, information about community health conditions, risks and resources, and the availability of resources to address identified problems;We believe the Board of Health can help us preserve, promote, and improve public health through educational campaigns on safe and responsible use of entheogens (including education on who should not partake in them). For example, addiction, depression, and PTSDare health conditions widespread in our community. Entheogens have been shown to help heal these health issues. The health department should therefore make information known aboutthese plants and fungi, how to use them safely and responsible, and how to reduce risk. These resources should be easily accessible to our community members. The Port TownsendPsychedelic Society is happy to work with the health department to create an educational campaign. The Port Townsend Psychedelic Society gets numerous requests from people seekinginformation about how to access entheogens or how to connect with a therapist or guide, and because entheogens are still criminalized, we have to tell them best of luck but that we can'tshare any information. These requests are often from end-of-life patients seeking support for end-of-life anxiety, people who are seeking healing from addiction or PTSD, people seekinghealing from other medical conditions, or people simply seeking to become healthier in general. Because these plants and fungi are criminalized, access is limited to those who haveprivileged access and connections. Decriminalization creates a context where those who want to use these plants for healing can be supported in doing so. It also reduces the harm that stemsdirectly from criminalization, regardless of one's intention for using entheogens. And while entheogens seemed de facto decriminalized in Port Townsend when we last communicated with you, a woman was since arrested for possession of psilocybin mushrooms(she also was in possession of oxycodone, but this was not found until ~30 minutes after she was arrested for the mushrooms alone, already handcuffed and in the back of the police car).Meanwhile, joining Oakland and Santa Cruz (CA), Ann Arbor (MI), Somerville (MA), and Cambridge (MA) all decriminalized all entheogenic plants and fungi by resolution. By ballot,Oregon decriminalized all drugs, as well as psilocybin specifically within therapeutic contexts, while Washington D.C. decriminalized all entheogens. In Michigan, the Prosecuting Attorneyof Washtenaw County, MI expanded Ann Arbor's decriminalization of entheogens county wide in a well-researched and common sense driven policy directive: https://www.washtenaw.org/DocumentCenter/View/19155/Entheogenic-Plants-Policy Locally, the City Council has our resolution to decriminalize entheogens on their agenda and plans to consider it soon, while the Board of Commissioners plan to sign an aspirationalresolution towards decriminalizing entheogens, as well as hosting a public meeting on the topic and helping to educate their fellow officials. Thank you for reading and for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you. Warmly,Erin Reading Port Townsend Psychedelic Society Proposed Resolution: JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF PUBLIC HEALTH HEREBY DECLARES THAT DECRIMINALIZING ADULT USE OF ENTHEOGENIC PLANTS BE RECOGNIZED AS A LOW PUBLIC HEALTH RISK OUTWEIGHED BY HEALTH BENEFITS IN THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND AND JEFFERSON COUNTY. WHEREAS, “Entheogenic plants,” a term originally classified by anthropologists and ethnobotanists in 1979, are herein defined as the full spectrum of psychedelic plants, fungi, and natural materials containing indole amines, tryptamines, phenethylamines, including psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, cacti containing mescaline, and iboga; and WHEREAS, Entheogenic plants have been considered sacred to human cultures for thousands of years, used to inspire personal and spiritual well-being, restore psychological and physical wellness, and enrich human’s connection with nature. Such use has been continued by religious/spiritual leaders, practicing mental health professionals, mentors, healers, and curious individuals from around the world, many of whom have been forced underground; andWHEREAS, Substance abuse, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), chronic depression, end-of-life anxiety, cluster headaches, tendencies toward recidivism, and other conditions challenge our community; andWHEREAS, Both via scientific/clinical studies and within continuing traditional and religious contexts, the use of entheogenic plants has been shown to be beneficial for treating the above conditions, as well as improving mental and socio-emotional health and supporting the well-being of individuals and communities in general; andWHEREAS, Psilocybin is a naturally occurring compound that is native to the Pacific Northwest and has been proven to alleviate depression, substance abuse, post traumatic stress disorder, cluster headaches, end-of-life anxiety for hospice and terminal cancer patients, and reduce prison recidivism; andWHEREAS, A Johns Hopkins University study on "healthy-normals" found that psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences, which were considered one of the top five most meaningful experiences in a subject's life for over 75% of their subjects within the first year after the study, and found continuing positive life-style changes after a 14-month follow-up; andWHEREAS, Iboga has been shown to alleviate treatment resistant cases of opiate and methamphetamine addiction at significantly higher rates than all other treatments for addiction. In addition, it is reported to be beneficial for addiction therapy related to specific work-related PTSD encountered by first responders such as EMT, police, and firefighters, as well as military veterans; and WHEREAS, Entheogenic cacti that contain phenethylamine compounds such as mescaline can be beneficial in healing drug and alcohol addiction and for individual spiritual growth, and have been utilized in sacred initiations and community healings by diverse religious and cultural traditions for millennia and still as religious sacraments in modern times; and WHEREAS, N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a naturally occurring compound, found within the human body and all other living organisms, yet is listed as a Schedule I substance. Entheogenic plants or combinations of plants that contain DMT, such as ayahuasca, are reported to inspire experiences of mysticism that can be beneficial in treating addiction, depression, PTSD, and promoting personal/spiritual growth; and WHEREAS, Psilocybin, ayahuasca, and cacti containing mescaline are regarded as non-addictive and have no known lethal doses; andWHEREAS, Entheogenic plant health and safety risks are primarily psychological and both physical and psychological risks can be mitigated through screening processes, guidance on appropriate dosages, education on safe and responsible use, access to safe spaces for effective use, and integration support; andWHEREAS, Decriminalization allows for the mitigative factors listed above to be put in place, and importantly, to be equitably accessed; andWHEREAS, The following principles, when adhered to, help to ensure safe and responsible use of entheogenic plants and fungi:1. Entheogens are not for everyone. Knowledgeable clinicians caution that some people should not take entheogenic plants or fungi, including people with a personal or family history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder or who are taking certain medications.2. If someone has a serious condition like major depression or PTSD,they would do well to get serious, professional help before using an entheogen and to ask that caregiver’s advice. (Some counselors and therapists are glad to work with a client before and after an entheogenic journey). 3. Unless you have expert guidance, it’s best to start with small amounts, using more only after you become familiar with the material and the terrain.4. Don’t go solo (with nontrivial doses). Have at least one trusted friend (called a sitter, guide, or facilitator) be with you, sober during the entire journey, and commit in advance to honor that person’s instructions if he or she tells you to not do something. Entheogens can amplify the whole range of human emotions, including anxiety which can sometimes lead to panic. Having a sitter gives you a certain comfort and mental freedom, and can help keep things safe.5. Reverence reduces risks and can help lead to positive outcomes. In cultures that have long used entheogenic substances beneficially, that use is approached with great respect, not haphazardly, and for life-enhancing purpose; andWHEREAS, The health risks of engaging with entheogenic plants and fungi stem more from the effects of them being criminalized than from using entheogens themselves; and WHEREAS, Entheogenic plants are not associated with violent behavior. A study has even shown that use of psilocybin mushrooms is associated with reduced partner violence in men; andWHEREAS, Decriminalization of entheogens helps increase the chance that anyone having a challenging experience or who has an accident or injury while using an entheogen will feel safe calling for emergency support without fearing criminal repercussions; and WHEREAS, The so-called War on Drugs has led to the unnecessary penalization, arrest, and incarceration of vulnerable people, particularly people of color and people of limited financial means, rather than prioritizing harm-reduction policies to treat drug abuse as an issue of public health; and THEREFORE BE ITRESOLVED, That the County Board of Public Health finds adult engagement with entheogenic plants and fungi to be a low public health concern; and be itFURTHER RESOLVED, That the County Board of Public Health supports the removal of entheogenic plants from the jurisdiction of the Controlled Substances Act; and be it FURTHER RESOLVED, That the County Board of Public Health supports fact-based public and professional education about the safe and responsible uses of entheogenic plants; and be it FURTHER RESOLVED, That the County Board of Public Health recommends that local law enforcement agencies pursue a decriminalization strategy for adult use of entheogenic plants; and be itFURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution does not support any of the following activities: commercial sales or manufacturing of these plants and fungi, possessing or distributing these materials in schools, driving under the influence of these materials; or public disturbance.