Oakland becomes second US city to legalise magic mushrooms

Council votes unanimously after testimony from users of naturally-occurring drugs

Oakland’s city council has voted to decriminalise magic mushrooms, becoming the second US city to approve such measures.

The council voted unanimously after more than 30 people lined up to provide testimony about their experiences using naturally-occurring drugs to cope with issues like post-traumatic stress syndrome – and to embark on spiritual journeys.

The California city will ban all of its funds from enforcing laws that criminalise magic mushrooms, while lowering investigations and arrests for possession, growth or distribution of the plants to the bottom of priorities for the local police department.

The resolution – which council member Noel Gallo said would allow police to focus on serious crime – included amendments that provided guidelines and recommendations for residents experimenting with entheogenic plants.

Oakland follows in the footsteps of Denver, which narrowly voted to decriminalise magic mushrooms last month.

Speakers at the city council meeting reportedly said the hallucinogenic drugs allowed them to cope with trauma and depression, with some even finding relief from the plants to combat long-held battles with addiction and anxiety.

“It’s the plants that are going to bring us back to sanity,” said Susana Eager Valadez, the director of the Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and Traditional Arts, according to USA Today.

“We've got to listen to their message and we’ve got to live reciprocally with nature and restore the natural order,” she added.

Ms Gallo, who introduced the resolution, noted the historic medicinal use of plants before the vote.

“We have many mental challenges on our streets today, and it’s important to be able to freely provide whatever medicinal support we can, including the use of plants that have beneficial effects for thousands of years,” she said.

The ruling comes with a recommendation that residents have a sober person with them while taking the drugs, and to start with small amounts to assess individual reactions.

While the city has voted to decriminalise magic mushrooms, it remains illegal according to state and federal law.