Jackson Council adopts resolution making entheogenic plants lowest enforcement priority (4–2)
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Summary
After extensive public testimony, Jackson City Council approved a nonbinding resolution declaring investigation and arrest for entheogenic plants and fungi should be the city's lowest law-enforcement priority; the measure passed 4–2 after council debate sparked by personal testimonies and public-safety concerns.
Jackson City Council voted 4–2 on Dec. 16 to adopt a resolution declaring that the investigation and arrest of persons for planting, cultivating, purchasing, distributing or possessing entheogenic plants and fungi should be the city’s lowest law-enforcement priority.
The measure, introduced as a resolution rather than an ordinance, drew more than a dozen speakers during the public-comment period offering sharply different views. Supporters — including former Ann Arbor council member Anne Bannister and multiple local residents and clinicians — framed the change as a public-health and harm-reduction step. Bannister said her city saw no rise in drug-related illness or crime after a similar measure and urged Jackson to follow an evidence-based approach. Clinician Chris Cooling told the council, "If folks are gonna be doing this, let's try to make it safe," urging noncriminal responses for people in distress.
Opponents warned of potential safety risks. Gerald Montgomery, a Marine Corps veteran, argued that people under the influence could behave unpredictably and posed risks to public safety. Nicholas Thurston recounted a high-profile aviation case he said illustrated the danger of unsupervised use.
During council discussion, members described both the personal reasons for supporting the resolution and the policy rationale. Council member Fortgrave recounted a family health episode and said, "It probably saved my life," describing how informal microdosing aided a household member. Several council members emphasized the resolution is a statement of local prosecutorial priorities rather than a change to federal law; Fortgrave noted past municipal measures that ran contrary to state or federal norms as a method of prompting higher-level reform.
The resolution passed 4–2. The clerk recorded the tally immediately after the discussion. The resolution is nonbinding and does not change state or federal statutes; council members said it is intended to signal local priorities and urge prosecutorial discretion. The city took no additional enforcement or regulatory steps at the meeting.
What happens next: The resolution takes effect immediately upon adoption as a council action; it does not amend criminal statutes. Council members and staff said they expect ongoing public discussion and possible future policy work related to public health, law enforcement resources and safety protocols.
