California State Senator Introduces Bill to Decriminalize Psychedelics

February 26, 2021 12:24:00

Recently, a legislator from California introduced a bill that would decriminalize psychedelics in the state, in an attempt to end the disproportionate war on drugs that has raged in the country since the 1970s.

The legislator who drafted the bill, Scott Weiner, hopes that by following in the footsteps of cities that have decriminalized psychedelics, such as the District of Columbia, Santa Cruz and Oakland, the state of California will be one step closer to decriminalizing both the possession and use of all drugs, which is what the state of Oregon did when it passed a similar ballot measure during the November 2020 elections.

In an interview, Wiener explained that the possession or use of drugs should be treated as a health issue instead of a criminal issue, adding that individuals shouldn’t be sent to jail for either offenses.

Wiener’s legislation, which was introduced last week, would decriminalize the personal use and possession of ibogaine, psilocybin, mescaline, psilocin, DMT, MDMA, ketamine and LSD. All these psychedelics are drugs that can be utilized in medical treatment. The bill also highlighted the various medical benefits that these psychedelics possessed.

In addition to this, the legislation would expunge the criminal records of individuals who had been convicted for the personal use or possession of these psychedelic substances. It would also establish a task force to recommend which body would supervise the therapeutic and personal use of these psychedelic substances for the treatment of various mental health conditions.

Wiener hopes that veterans who have had a firsthand experience with psychedelics will give their testimonies, which will help disprove various misconceptions about people who use psychedelics. It helps that the legislation has been sponsored by therapists who support psychedelic therapy along with two groups that help veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

One of the veterans who will be providing testimony will be Julian Mercer, who has been a Marine for 16 years. Mercer has served two military tours, one in Afghanistan and another in Iraq. Mercer explained that losing a number of friends and witnessing too much destruction and damage impacted her deeply. She revealed that she reached out to a group that specializes in psychedelic therapy with military veterans using ayahuasca, i.e., Heroic Hearts Project, over a year ago.

Mercer explained that her first session alone helped her release grief and pain that had piled up over the years, noting that with help from her therapist and coach, she was able to unpack the unaddressed trauma that she had carried around for years.

The rapidly evolving psychedelics sector is likely to favor existing companies that can quickly adapt their current operations to the evolving needs of the space. One such company is Pure Extracts Technologies Inc. (CSE: PULL) (OTC: PRXTF), which is a leader in the Canadian cannabis extracts space, a capacity which is serving it in good stead as the firm ventures into the rapid development as well as commercialization of psychedelic medicines.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Pure Extracts Technologies Corp. (CSE: PULL) (OTC: PRXTF) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/PULL

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