Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 3/31/2021
NORTHAMPTON – During the Northampton City Council’s March 18 meeting, the council approved a resolution to decriminalize psychedelic plants. With the vote, Northampton became the third Massachusetts city to make such a pledge.
Ward 7 Councilor Rachel Maiore, one of the sponsors for the resolution, said that the decriminalization of psychedelic plants could ease the load on law enforcement and lead to more drug addiction treatment.
“Decriminalization eases the load on law enforcement, who we all know are overworked. Portugal who decriminalized back in 2000 has seen no surge of drug use happening and drug busts fell while the number of people being treated for drug addiction rose by 20 percent,” she said.
At-large Councilor William Dwight, the second sponsor for the resolution, said that current punitive measures against psychedelic drugs do not work.
“We need to understand that taking punitive measures to deal with these mind-altering substances clearly does not work. It creates a criminal industry that is the best free market around; it is a profound, perverse distortion that results in the destruction of the systemic structure for millions of people,” he said. “That is allowed to flourish because we created this oppressive structure and response to the use of those substances.”
Because the resolution is just a resolution, Dwight said the document does not authorize the decriminalization of the psychedelic plants.
“We do not have the authority to direct the Police Department to these policies. The fact is we cannot create a law in this respect because we are trumped by both state and federal law. This resolution is an appeal for a cultural shift, an understanding of how we can best treat and respect each other,” he said.
The council unanimously approved the resolution in favor of decriminalizing the use, possession, and selling of psychedelic plants.
The council also approved the fiscal year 2020 to 2026 (FY22-26) Capital Improvement Plan.
To start the Capital Improvement Plan public hearing, Mayor David Narkewicz explained that the plan is required by the city charter every year.
“This is a requirement of our city charter. Every year the mayor is required to create essentially a five-year road map of all the potential capital needs of the city across all our departments and our schools. This includes buildings, vehicles, repairs to infrastructure, technology equipment, and the goal of the program is to show a blueprint of how the city could fund those capital needs,” he said.
The FY22-26 plan includes 101 projects and would cost over $76 million to complete all the projects.
Narkewicz added that the Capital Improvement Plan is a tool the city uses to make sure city planning is moving forward.
“The Capital Program is an important tool for making sure we are constantly assessing our capital infrastructure, we are planning for the future, and planning for future investments, which are also part of our budgeting process,” he said.
While the council voted to approve the plan, Narkewicz explained that the city was not appropriating the money yet.
“This is not an actual spending or borrowing order, it is a planning document. The spending, borrowing, or transfers to fund these projects come later, we bring them to the City Council. I am not asking for $76 million of spending tonight,” he said.
The council unanimously approved the plan.
During the meeting, the council also approved a resolution to thank the Health Department, first responders, staff and volunteers for helping to vaccinate the community.
The Northampton City Council next meets on April 8.