PLANT MEDICINE –
July 14, 2023 – “We are excited for Berkeley to join Oakland, San Francisco, and 16 other cities and counties nationwide,” said Larry Norris, PhD, Cofounder of Decriminalize Nature National and Decriminalize Nature Berkeley, which led the local decriminalization campaign, in a statement. “Berkeley is making a statement to the world to end punitive approaches to entheogenic plant and fungi practices, and allow for additional forms of healing as well as personal and spiritual growth for the community.”
“Although I’m a little surprised it took Berkeley so long to get on board, I’m very excited to see the Bay Area now be a united front on this movement,” added Taylor Blevons, a Decriminalize Nature activist and former Greenpeace regional director, in a statement shared with Filter. “After years of trying to convince the public that it’s past time we take dramatic environmental action, I think what we need more than anything is a shift in consciousness. I believe allowing people to develop their own relationship with these gifts from nature will help humanity remember our connection to the natural world, heal ourselves and the earth.”
Berkeley lawmakers first introduced a version of this bill in 2019. At that time, activists Alexander Williams and Larry Norris were leading the charge, working with the Berkeley Entheogenic Society and supported by Decriminalize Nature Oakland.
