In Illinois, a lawmaker is endorsing a new proposal to make the Chicago community the next U.S. city to decriminalize psychedelics.

Devon Reid’s (Councilmember) proposal would make possessing, cultivating, and delivering entheogenic substances like psilocybin punishable by a $100 fine, but without the danger of jail time. The fine can be waived for people who complete a drug treatment program or “reasonable public service work.

If this proposal is approved, Evanston, Illinois would become the first city in Illinois to decriminalize psychedelics.

FDA has elected psilocybin to be a “breakthrough therapy” to treat the major depressive disorder. Following this, Colorado became the second state, after Oregon, to vote to create a regulated system for substances like psilocin and psilocybin, which are the hallucinogens found in various mushrooms. The proposal, which would take effect in 2024, will allow a review board to add other plant-based psychedelic drugs to the program in 2026.

The bill added that the “investigation or arrest of anyone for planting, cultivating, purchasing, transporting, distributing, or engaging in practices with or possessing entheogenic plants or plant compounds shall be the city’s lowest law enforcement priority.” 

Councilmember Devon Reid intends to press forward with the local decriminalization proposal in an upcoming December 2022 committee meeting, which was first reported by Marijuana Moment.

In addition to Colorado’s latest legalization of psychedelics possession and manufacture of psilocybin healing centers and Oregon’s officially permitted psilocybin therapy since 2020, psilocybin is legally recognized in Washington, D.C. and several other cities, New York regulators have proposed legalization bills for 2022. Bills decriminalizing possession have been introduced in 19 states so far; however, none have been passed, while some states -including Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma- have introduced legislation to advance the study of the psychedelic’s therapeutic benefits. 

With the aforementioned, of the more than 60 bills introduced across the nation, most of the bills are delayed in committee or the votes have been utterly negated.