Activists Say Oregon Psilocybin Ballot Measure Obtained Enough Signatures for November Poll

July 2, 2020 14:50:37

Activists behind an initiative to legalize magic (psilocybin) mushrooms in Oregon for medicinal purposes have announced that they gathered a lot more than the required number of voter signatures in order for the measure to qualify for the polls in November.

While Oregon’s Secretary of State hasn’t verified all those signatures, the advocates behind the “Yes on IP34” say that according to their independent audit, the campaign exceeded the minimum number of required signatures before the deadline on July 2.

Their confidence may not be misplaced, given that the office of the Secretary of State had confirmed that the first batch of voter signatures turned in had 106,908 valid signatures. This was 80.2% of the total number of signatures needed to see the measure placed on the ballot.

At the end of last week, the campaigners said that they were going to submit an additional 31,209 voter signatures. From just number, only 16.4% (5,112 signatures) need to be confirmed as valid for the measure to sail through. As the previous submission showed, a validity rate hovering around the 80% mark is possible, so the measure is almost certain to get the nod for inclusion on the ballot.

The chief petitioner, Tom Eckert, says that they expect word from the Oregon Secretary of State later this month regarding the fate of their voter initiative, and they are confident they more than met the stipulated requirements.

Eckert asserts that his campaign was motivated by the need to give Oregonians legal, safe and regulated access to psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in a licensed facility. He says science supports this approach, and that is exactly what the people of Oregon deserve.

If the measure is approved for inclusion on the ballot, and voters give it enough support to make the cut, Oregon will be the first state in the country to establish a legalization model for the therapeutic use of “magic mushrooms.” Under the proposal, there is no restriction regarding the conditions for which people can use this treatment. This is unlike medical marijuana for which states determine the list of qualifying conditions that a licensed physician can recommend medical cannabis as a treatment option.

The steps taken in Oregon are just further proof of how strong the movement to legalize psychedelics has become. The city of Denver made history last year when it decriminalized magic mushrooms, and Oakland, as well as Santa Cruz, quickly followed suit. A campaign in Washington, D.C. is also in the final stages of meeting the requirements to put a psilocybin measure on the November ballot.

These initiatives are likely to be watched closely by psychedelics companies like EntheogeniX Biosciences since the wave of legalization can present lots of opportunities for growth.

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