Valkyria legalises psilocybin in defiance of international criticism
Psilocybin is the third major recreational drug to be legalised since 2017 after cannabis and coca
Tove Jakobsdóttir (she/her), Chief politics writer
Monday, 5 June 2023
Ravneby — The storting passed legislation on Monday legalising the recreational use of psilocybin in Valkyria, following through on promises made by Prime Minister Steve Bennett and other socialist and ecologist leaders. The legalisation came at a time when Valkyria faced increasing international criticism of the country’s liberal views on drug use and of the prime minister’s response to the criticism.
Facing criticism from international figures, including within the Izaakian and Ryccian governments, Bennett inhaled from a vaporiser in front of journalists and shot back at a statement made by Izaakian Home Secretary Walter Rombold. On Stream, the prime minister threatened to issue a travel advisory to Wasserstein, Valkyria’s neighbour to the north. Bennett also made an ageist dismissal of criticism from opposition members in the storting.
On Monday, Bennett struck a different tone during the final debate on the legalisation bill, apologising for mishandling international criticism but also defending his government’s position on the issue:
Before passing the psilocybin legalisation bill, Home Secretary Taeler Shaw announced that the National Police would no longer arrest or assist foreign states in extraditing people accused of drug possession or use, which was decriminalised within Valkyria in a 2021 referendum. However, the police will continue to do so in the case of smugglers. Furthermore, the government moved to advance the LSD and MDMA legalisation bills to the second reading, putting the bills one step closer to law.
Speaking on the issue of legalisation, Foreign Secretary Avianna Aldridge stated that the government “remains undeterred” in its quest for international legalisation and the safe and regulated trade of previously illicit drugs. The foreign secretary condemned the continued international prohibition of drugs, “which has proven to be effective insofar as to fostering a black market with a contaminated and dangerous mix of drugs.”
Despite international criticism, the Valkyrian government remains united on the issue, with all parties in the governing Alliance of Social Democrats standing behind legalisation and the prime minister. Public opinion also appears to be on the prime minister’s side, with 65 per cent of Valkyrians supporting the government’s drug policy in a VKS poll conducted in late May.
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