OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland would become the second U.S. city to decriminalize magic mushrooms under a proposal before the City Council.
Council members will vote on the resolution on Tuesday night.
Denver voters in May approved a similar measure. Oakland's resolution would decriminalize a wider variety of plant-based substances.
Councilmember Noel Gallo, who introduced the resolution, says decriminalizing such plants would enable Oakland police to focus on serious crime.
He says such plants can have mental and physical health benefits and they have been used to treat depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Skeptics have raised concerns about unsafe use. Magic mushrooms would remain illegal under both federal and state laws.
