Olympia votes to functionally decriminalize magic mushrooms

The Olympia City Council voted Wednesday to functionally decriminalize the use of psychedelic mushrooms.

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Olympia City Council voted Wednesday to functionally decriminalize the use of psychedelic mushrooms.

Psychedelic mushrooms — or ‘magic mushrooms’ — are still illegal in Olympia and Washington at large, but the city council approved a resolution to make using them "among the [city’s] lowest law enforcement priorities."

Council members have also stated their support for full decriminalization of using and growing psychedelic mushrooms.

Decriminalization means that, while using mushrooms is still illegal, it would not be a felony crime and police would not go out of their way to arrest and file charges for it. Mushrooms are not yet decriminalized in Olympia, but are in cities like Seattle, Port Townsend, as well as Jefferson County. Mushrooms are also decriminalized in Oregon and Washington, D.C. and is legal in Colorado for assisted adult use.

Council members are pushing for the decriminalization of mushrooms given their long history in certain cultures and religions, as well as their medical uses to treat depression and other mental health illnesses.

"Decriminalization of [mushrooms] does not undermine the seriousness of the opioid epidemic," reads the resolution, and the council determined they have bigger fish to fry when it comes to drug crimes.

The resolution does not permit driving under the influence of mushrooms, possession or distribution of mushrooms in schools, commercial manufacture or sales of mushrooms or outright stop the investigation, arrest and prosecution of these crimes.