MINNEAPOLIS (KFGO/WCCO) – Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has signed an executive order telling law enforcement to deprioritize investigating and arresting people in possession of psychoactive plants such as mushrooms.
Frey said, regardless of the stigma attached, when you look at the science behind the benefits of entheogenic plants, it all points in one direction–helping people. He said that’s the business the city should be in.
“With a rise in deaths of despair in our city, and in our society, the data is showing that these plants can help be a remedy,” Frey said. “That’s the message I hope this executive order sends elsewhere.”
Frey’s office said studies have shown that entheogenic plants have helped people with chronic depression, severe anxiety, addiction, post-traumatic stress, and other physical and mental conditions.
Frey said it is time for Minneapolis to join other cities in doing something similar with these substances.
“There is a whole lot of science out there from experts that have said that entheogenic plants, and by that to be clear, I mean mushrooms, have been really helpful for people that are dealing with a ton of trauma,” Frey said.
As included in the order, entheogenic plants are defined as the full spectrum of plants, fungi, and natural materials and/or their extracted compounds, limited to those containing the following types of compounds: indole amines, tryptamines, and phenethylamines; including, but not limited to, psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca tea, mescaline, and iboga, that can benefit psychological and physical wellness and well-being.
“I recognize that many of our community members see benefits in using these natural substances for health or religious purposes, and with this Executive Order, Mayor Frey has directed the Minneapolis Police Department to join agencies nationwide in continuing to deemphasize law enforcement activities related to use of entheogenic plants,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said. “I stand with the mayor in support of this action and will ensure the MPD continues to maintain the safety of all residents and community members.”
The order does not legalize the plants or authorize their sale, distribution, or use while behind the wheel. With the order, Minneapolis joins other major cities across the country that have already taken this step. Denver, Seattle, Detroit, San Francisco and Washington D.C. are among the major metropolitan areas that have either decriminalized or reduced prosecution for the use of plant-based psychedelics.
“This is an important first step to undo all the harms inflicted from the war on people who use drugs, which was created to target brown and black peoples,” Jessica Nielson, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota and founding member of the DecriMN Coalition said . “These natural medicines and their use by Indigenous peoples predate any of these laws. Individual liberty over one’s own health and consciousness is essential to a well community, as is the community healing that can occur with these entheogens.”
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