Minneapolis, Minnesota has joined cities like Detroit, Washington, D.C., Seattle and San Francisco in decriminalizing psychedelics.
On Friday, the mayor of Minneapolis signed an executive order making the criminalization of psychedelics the city’s lowest law enforcement priority.
“The investigation and arrest of persons for planting, cultivating, purchasing, transporting, distributing, engaging in practices with, or possessing Entheogenic Plants or plant compounds which are on the federal Schedule 1 list shall be the lowest law enforcement priority for the City of Minneapolis.”
The order effectively decriminalizes psychedelics and also prevents local resources from being used to help state or federal against psychedelics.
“Unless required by law, City resources shall not knowingly be used in any investigation, detention, or arrest arising out of alleged violations of state and federal law for engaging in the above-referenced activities…”
Criminalizing psychedelic use takes resources away from violent crime without improving public health. My executive order makes it a lowest-level enforcement priority. https://t.co/9O6dZ2ZB1l
— Jacob Frey (@Jacob_Frey) July 21, 2023
According to local reporting
, LSD, ketamine and MDMA are not included in the order and would remain a priority target of Minneapolis law enforcement. The order also excludes peyote “in order to respect and protect access to these sacred plant medicines of the Native America Church.”
“Regardless of the stigma attached, when you look at the science behind the benefits of entheogens, it all points in one direction…Experts are telling us that these plants help people, and that’s the business we should be in—helping people.”
