In response to the Seattle City Council’s request for policy advice on how to curb overdose deaths, a local task force is recommending the widespread decriminalization of all drugs. Psychedelics, in particular, the group said, could be a promising treatment to address substance abuse disorders and mental health issues. The group announced its recommendations at an event Tuesday evening. In a one-page summary, it says that removing penalties around controlled substances—or even legalizing and regulating them—would “create opportunities for research and access to a regulated safe supply in a manner that is safest for everyone in the community.” The call to decriminalize is one of five policy recommendations unveiled this week by the Overdose Emergency Innovative Recovery (OEIR) task force, convened and led by the organization VOCAL-WA and other community organizers. Other proposals include expanding housing, treatment and harm reduction services, as well as efforts to reduce social stigma around substance use disorders. “Unlearning drug war propaganda of the last century will take time and patience,” the group said in a summary document. “It will take an all-hands-on-deck effort to end the stigmatization and harm that more than a century of prohibition has caused.”
Ben Adlin, Marijuana Moment, 09/01/2021 15:31:00