Eureka just became the sixth city to decriminalize psychedelics in California. This means that all activity related to entheogenic plants and fungi, such as planting, cultivating, purchasing, transporting, distributing, and possessing, will now be considered a low priority for law enforcement.
This resolution does not apply to citizens under the age of 21.
The decriminalization movement in Eureka was led by a local advocacy group called Decriminalize Nature Humboldt, an advocacy group with the mission ”to improve human health and well-being by decriminalizing and expanding access to entheogenic plants and fungi through political and community organizing, education and advocacy.”
Co-founder of the advocacy group, Larry Norris, suggested that the costs for therapeutic solutions are too high, and that decriminalizing these medicines will help enable access for everyone, regardless of their income levels.
The decriminalization of psychedelics in Eureka comes just weeks after California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a statewide bill that would have decriminalized the use of certain psychedelics. In his veto message, Newsom said that he wanted to see more research on the safety and efficacy of psychedelics before decriminalizing them.
“We need to be able to provide safe and supportive access to these substances, and that requires further research and regulation,” Newsom said.
Eureka is now the sixth jurisdiction in California to decriminalize psychedelics, now joining Oakland, Santa Cruz, Arcata, San Francisco, and Berkeley.
