Psychedelics Law
A new era has arrived for psychedelics with the historic passage of psychedelic therapy initiatives, including Oregon Measure 109 and Washington, D.C. Initiative 81, in the November 2020 election.
Of course, California has been at the forefront of psychedelic policy change. For example, last year, the City of Oakland became “the first in the nation to decriminalize a wide range of psychedelics such as psilocybin mushrooms and ayahuasca.” Similarly, in early 2020, city leaders in Santa Cruz unanimously agreed to “decriminalize the adult use, possession, and cultivation of entheogenic psychoactive plants and fungi.” More broadly, Decriminalize California, a statewide grassroots effort to legalize psilocybin mushrooms in the Golden State via a voter initiative, had picked up considerable momentum, but unfortunately stalled out after the outbreak of COVID-19 given the practical impossibility of collecting in-person signatures during a pandemic (they are now looking at the 2022 election). In November 2020, State Senator Scott Wiener tweeted, “It’s time to take a health/science based approach to drugs & move away from knee-jerk criminalization. Psychedelics have medicinal benefits & they shouldn’t be illegal. That’s why, when the Legislature reconvenes, we’ll work to decriminalize their use.” In 2021 a bill to legalize certain psychedelics was introduced in the state legislature.
Navigating an ever-changing regulatory landscape is a challenge for entrepreneurs in the psychedelic space. Because of drug prohibition, failing to plan could be tantamount to planning to fail. Legal advice from experienced counsel is critical. We are honored to provide counsel who are experienced advocates for cognitive liberty, and who have knowledge of both criminal and transactional law.
Our experience when it comes to psychedelics law is unparalleled. Unlike most attorneys in the space, Omar has actually defended in court the freedom of human beings accused of LSD, MDMA, DMT, peyote, and psilocybin offenses. Some of these have been high-profile cases, such as the defense of a Native American Church minister in Sonoma County.
Additionally, as advocates for cognitive liberty, Omar and Lauren served on the legal team for Decriminalize California, a grassroots campaign to legalize psilocybin mushrooms in the Golden State, and are involved local decriminalization efforts. They have also sat on the boards of non-profit organizations dedicated to individual liberties and drug policy reform, including the ACLU of Sonoma County and Students for Sensible Drug Policy.
Check out some of our blog posts pertaining to psychedelics law below.
An Update on California’s Psychedelic Decriminalization Efforts
California Bill Would Decriminalize LSD and Other Psychedelics