Portland, Oregon makes personal psychedelic use police's lowest priority
On September 30, 2026, Portland's City Council unanimously passed an ordinance making personal use, cultivation and non-commercial sharing of natural psychedelics the lowest police enforcement priority. Possession is still illegal under Oregon and federal law.
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Portland, Oregon's City Council voted unanimously on September 30, 2026 to make personal use, cultivation and non-commercial sharing of naturally occurring psychedelics, such as psilocybin mushrooms and ayahuasca, the lowest enforcement priority for police. The measure, Ordinance 2026-186, is called the Psychedelic Health and Safety Act. One source, Drug War Chronicle, reports that it takes effect October 30, 2026; we haven't confirmed that date elsewhere.
What the ordinance does
- Passed
- September 30, 2026, unanimous
- Name
- Ordinance 2026-186, Psychedelic Health and Safety Act
- Lowest priority
- Personal use, cultivation and non-commercial sharing of naturally occurring psychedelics
- Excluded
- Peyote
- Still illegal
- Sales outside Oregon's licensed psilocybin program
- Effective
- October 30, 2026 (reported by one source)
The ordinance covers natural psychedelics like psilocybin mushrooms and ayahuasca, but it specifically leaves out peyote. It's limited to personal, non-commercial activity: selling psychedelics outside Oregon's licensed program is still illegal.
"Lowest enforcement priority" is not the same as legal. The ordinance tells police where these offenses rank; it doesn't make psilocybin legal to possess, and possession remains a misdemeanor under state law.
How it fits with Oregon's psilocybin laws
Portland's ordinance adds a third layer to Oregon's rules on psilocybin.
| Layer | What it does | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Measure 109 (statewide) | Licensed psilocybin services for adults 21 and older at state-licensed service centers, with a licensed facilitator | Passed 2020; first center licensed May 5, 2023 |
| HB 4002 (statewide) | Made possession of small amounts outside the licensed system a misdemeanor, replacing a Class E violation | September 1, 2024 |
| Ordinance 2026-186 (Portland only) | Makes personal use, cultivation and non-commercial sharing of natural psychedelics the lowest police priority | Passed September 30, 2026 |
Under Measure 109, the only legal way for an adult to use psilocybin in Oregon is at a licensed service center with a licensed facilitator. State law bars sales to anyone under 21 and bars people under 21 from licensed premises. HB 4002 then made possession outside that system a crime again in 2024. Portland's ordinance doesn't undo either law. It sets enforcement priorities inside the city, while the state's licensed program and misdemeanor penalty stay in place. Psilocybin is also still a Schedule I drug under federal law.
What it means if you live in or visit Portland
If you want legal psilocybin in Portland, the licensed service center system is still the route. Our Portland guide and our guide to Oregon psilocybin service centers explain how that works. Unlicensed sales are still illegal; the ordinance covers non-commercial sharing only.
Don't confuse this with Portland, Maine. That city's council passed a non-binding resolution in October 2023, by a 6-3 vote, to deprioritize enforcement.
Where Portland fits nationally
By our count, Portland joins more than 30 U.S. local jurisdictions that have deprioritized or "decriminalized" psilocybin, and it's the only one in Oregon on our list. It acted by council ordinance rather than a public vote, and we found no local measure to decriminalize psilocybin on any November 3, 2026 ballot. See our full list of cities that decriminalized psilocybin, and our roundup of the Oregon and Idaho ballot measures for the local votes that are happening this fall.
Sources
- Portland, Oregon city council votes to deprioritize police enforcement against psychedelics, Marijuana Moment, September 30, 2026.
- Drug War Daily Digest, Drug War Chronicle, October 19, 2026.
- ORS Chapter 475A, Oregon State Legislature, accessed October 20, 2026.
- HB 4002 fact sheet, Oregon Health Authority, accessed October 20, 2026.
- Oregon licenses the first psilocybin service center, Willamette Week, May 5, 2023.
- Portland, Maine council vote on psychedelic mushrooms, Spectrum News Maine, October 5, 2023.
- State by state psychedelics law and policy tracker, UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, accessed October 20, 2026.