The Santa Barbara Independent
District 216 Members Start Petition and Talks with Councilmembers to Legalize Possession and Use of Psilocybin Mushrooms and More in City
Psychedelics may not be so “far out” from legalization in Santa Barbara. Larry Norris, a researcher in entheogens — naturally occurring substances like psilocybin (magic mushrooms), which induce altered states of consciousness — has been helping cities around the country “decriminalize nature” and has recently taken trips to Santa Barbara.
No, not those kinds of trips, necessarily. But Norris has been working with District 216, a psychedelic social club in the city, to lend the group the playbook for decriminalizing natural hallucinogens, such as peyote, ayahuasca, and, of course, psilocybin mushrooms. He’s spoken at the community’s “edutainment” -events twice, having been a key player behind the decriminalization of entheogens in multiple U.S. cities.
In California, Decriminalize Nature, the nonprofit Norris co-founded, supported the trailblazing decriminalization of natural psychedelics in the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz over the last four years. It wouldn’t be a big surprise if Santa Barbara decided to legally ride the psychedelic wave.
SWAYING THE CITY COUNCIL
For that to happen, the City Council would need to vote to remove criminal penalties for the possession, use, and (possibly) cultivation and distribution of entheogenic plants and fungi. However, the use, sale, and possession of psilocybin and other entheogens in the United States remains illegal under federal law.
Jacob Tell, District 216’s founder, wanted to figure out how they could get Santa Barbara on the decriminalization train. The club’s been making strides ever since. So far, they’ve collected 500 signatures (and counting) on a petition to decriminalize entheogens in the city.
According to Tell, their next step is to win over city councilmembers, and they’ve already spoken with two out of seven. Councilmembers Mike Jordan and Oscar Gutierrez, Tell said, had positive reactions to their conversations. “The idea is to get four out of seven on board,” he added. “We’re trying to get a yes vote from the council in the next 6-12 months.”
Gutierrez thinks the group approached him because they may view him as one of the more “open-minded” councilmembers or as an “out-of-the-box thinker.”
“I’m always willing to hear people out and see what can be done to better our community,” Gutierrez said. He declined an invitation to try the substances himself.
To soberly persuade the council, District 216 is hoping to inspire people to share their personal stories of how entheogens like psilocybin mushrooms impacted their lives for the better. Traditionally, these plants and fungi have been used for spiritual and therapeutic purposes, as their properties can encourage psychological introspection, spiritual exploration, and the healthy processing of trauma.
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Santa Barbara’s Psychedelic Social Club Pushes to Decriminalize Natural Hallucinogens in City
