The Vine

Plant Medicine had a monumental night in politics last evening as several states legalized adult use of cannabis while others decriminalized possession of all drugs. 

As cannabis has been deemed essential during the global pandemic, adult use legalization made its way onto the ballot of several states on election night, and cannabis won big with legalization measures passed in New Jersey, Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, and South Dakota. "Such a strong showing is expected to encourage federal lawmakers in Congress to finally acknowledge cannabis reform’s vast popularity among voters in America across all party and ideological divides,"  said Chris Roberts in the Forbes. 

Thanks to Decriminalize Nature, Washington D.C. voted yes to Initiative 81 and decriminalized psychedelic plants and fungi. "This ballot measure will decriminalize naturally-occurring entheogens like psilocybin, ayahuasca, iboga, and mescaline-containing cacti. Soon, the Nation’s Capitol will join Ann Arbor, Oakland, and Santa Cruz in making these substances among the lowest priorities for law enforcement, clearing the way for DC residents to access plant medicine by growing and gifting; for-profit sales will remain prohibited," said Danielle Simone Brand of Doubleblind Mag. 

 Oregon continues to pave the way for the most progressive initiatives to combat the war on drugs becoming the first state in the nation to decriminalize the possession of all illegal drugs and also legalize the use of psilocybin—the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms—for mental-health treatment. "Both are the first of their kind in any U.S. state and represent the next frontier in the relaxation of drug laws beyond marijuana," says Donald Morrison of The Wall Street Journal.

Plant medicine advocates should embrace this moment in history. Steps are finally being taken nationwide to allow plant medicine to be available to all. We will be following this journey and sharing more psychedelic news and stories with you on our blog as well as on The Vine: A Plant Media Project Podcast.