There have been some interesting changes going on in the Seattle area where we host most of our ceremonies. I wanted to share some of the recent legal changes in our area with the community in case people are not aware!
In February 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled in State v. Blake that the state's felony drug possession statute was unconstitutional. Because of the way this law was worded the entire law has been thrown out and has not been replaced. So there is currently no possession drug offense in the state of WA - meaning you cannot get arrested for possession anywhere in the state currently (this actually applies to all drugs, not just psychedelic medicines).
The state was expected to propose a new replacement law, but instead they issued a official resolution asking the Seattle Police Department to make all psychedelics their lowest priority and to especially protect religious and healing uses of psychedelics. This is similar to how they made cannabis the lowest priority before it was legalized. While the resolution does not make these psychedelic substances legal, it does request that SPD “formally codify and adopt policies that protect” those who cultivate psychedelics “for use in religious, spiritual, healing, or personal growth practices and those who share entheogens with others.”
The state has also said that they plan on introducing full legalization legislation on Washington's 2022 ballot and they expect it to easily pass. So it looks like full legalization is around the corner and that the state is especially interested in protecting spiritual and healing uses of psychedelics. As of now, Seattle is the largest city to decriminalize psychedelics.
With these changes, we will likely make a few small changes with how open we can be offering our ceremonies to the public. For a long time we have wanted to offer a safe space for anyone suffering to find healing and relief through visionary medicines, and it seems like we might finally be able to do this openly. A lot of people are searching for these medicines and don't know where to turn for a safe and reputable source for healing and spirituality so hopefully those dark days of religious persecution are behind us!
