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A group of psilocybin therapy providers filed a lawsuit last week against the state of Oregon, claiming a law that legalized psilocybin treatment centers discriminates against disabled individuals who are unable to leave their homes.
Oregon legalized psilocybin therapy in 2023, but the drug is only allowed to be administered at state-licensed treatment centers by licensed facilitators.
According to the complaint, “many disabled and terminally ill individuals — those who would benefit from access to psilocybin the most — are denied access to those services because their physical condition prevents them from traveling for treatment.”
The suit also claims terminal patients who are denied access may turn to the illicit market for relief.
The plaintiffs listed in the lawsuit are three Oregon-licensed psilocybin facilitators and a physician specializing in terminal illnesses. They are asking the court to declare the state’s health agency violated discrimination laws and require it to provide reasonable accommodations for psilocybin patients that can’t leave their homes.
Dallas Delivers Decrim Signatures
Texas activists recently submitted a petition with nearly 50,000 signatures aimed at allowing Dallas voters to decide whether to decriminalize marijuana in the city. According to local laws, the activists only needed 35,000 signatures to secure a place on the ballot for their initiative.
The initiative, called the Dallas Freedom Act, would prohibit police from arresting or citing individuals for Class A or B misdemeanor possession of marijuana, unless the offense was part of a felony investigation for narcotics or violent crime. It would also prohibit officers from considering the smell of weed as a probable cause for search and seizure.
If passed, the measure would also require the Dallas police chief and the city manager to prepare quarterly reports on cannabis arrests and policy implementation.
According to WFAA in Dallas, activists submitted the petition last week and the city will now have to verify at least 20,000 of the signatures before moving to the next step.
Hawaii to Start Expungement Pilot Program
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) last week signed a bill into law that will create a one-county marijuana expungement pilot program.
The new law will set up a system to expunge non-conviction marijuana arrest records in Hawaii County, home to about 14% of the state’s population.
The original proposal would have expunged all low-level cannabis offenses across the state. The bill was scaled back to a pilot program because the state doesn’t have enough money to fund new projects that aren’t related to recovering from wildfires residents experienced last year.
State lawmakers say the pilot program will allow them to determine how much funding will be needed to set up a statewide expungement program.
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Blunts: Oregon Faces Psilocybin Lawsuit – The Paper. – The Paper
