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Supporters Urge Jackson Council to Decriminalize Natural Psychedelics; No Formal Vote Recorded
Summary
Several residents urged the council to deprioritize enforcement of personal use and cultivation of natural psychedelic substances, citing local examples and research; council received public comment but did not take immediate action.
Multiple speakers during the citizen comment period on Nov. 18 urged Jackson City Council to consider a resolution to decriminalize entheogenic plants, including psilocybin mushrooms. Speakers said a policy in neighboring Washtenaw County had not produced increased crime or overdoses and cited clinical research on psilocybin's therapeutic potential.
Virginia Field explained the proposal would ask local law enforcement to deprioritize enforcement of personal use, possession and small-scale cultivation; she emphasized it would not legalize commercial sales or encourage use by minors. Roger Mulford and others described scientific literature they said supports a low harm profile for psilocybin and urged the council to support a local policy shift.
Council acknowledged the testimony; no ordinance or resolution on the matter was on the agenda for final action that night. Public commenters were told council would accept the testimony for consideration.
