Why SB-519 Matters For Healing San Francisco
“This act will allow for the noncommercial, personal use and sharing of specified controlled substances, including for the purposes of group counseling and community-based healing, or other related services.”
With the recent introduction of California Senate Bill 519, Controlled substances: decriminalization of certain hallucinogenic substances. The bill was introduced by district 11 State Senator Scott Wiener. There are reasons to be hopeful about healing our city if this measure gains support. If passed into law, this bill would make lawful personal possession of psilocybin, psilocyn, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ibogaine, mescaline, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ketamine, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). The bill also proposes to dismiss all prior convictions relating to possession. As if this was not enough to get excited about, SB-519 also establishes language to require the State Department of Public Health to convene a working group to establish recommendations for the regulation and therapeutic use of these substances.
From SB-519: “Research is advancing to support the use of psychedelic compounds with psychotherapy to treat mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder.”
Like Measure 109 in Oregon, which passed in November 2020, California would potentially enable therapeutic access to not only psilocybin, but all entheogenic plants and fungi mentioned in the bill. What makes this bill different than Oregon is that the bill also supports community-based healing. Healing that is culturally appropriate organized for and by marginalized communities.
Overdose deaths are on the rise as well as the number of unhoused has made these issues an urgent public health crisis in San Francisco. Marginalized communities need access to effective mental health treatments. Decriminalize Nature SF supports plant and fungi based entheogenic medicines for use in communities of color and also the unhoused. This bill would enable community based entheogenic community healing centers staffed by experts to educate, guide and direct those in need with an appropriate path to healing.
With recent signs of hope to fund housing and mental health services, access to these healing modalities can potentially provide the kind of effective treatments for trauma and addiction challenges that persist in our neighborhoods. SB-519 would provide the legal protections and framework to protect community sourced solutions in community based settings.
To meet the challenges facing the unhoused, the rising epidemic of addiction and overdoses in the city, we as San Francisco residents need to show our support for this important legislation. For California residents, we urge you to contact your senator to support decriminalization psychedelics, entheogenic plants and fungi. These substances should be accessible to all for personal and community based healing.
