Pierce County is the seventh Washington government to deprioritize psilocybin

Washington's second most populous county has joined the list of local governments that want psilocybin left alone. On Tuesday, September 1, 2026, the Pierce County Council adopted Resolution R2026-177, which the county says passed unanimously. We missed it at the time, so here is what it says and where it leaves the map.

What the resolution does

According to the county's own summary, the resolution takes three positions:

• It supports continued research into entheogens as alternative treatments.
• It asks that enforcement be among the county's lowest priorities when no other suspected law violation is present.
• It affirms support for full decriminalization at the state and federal levels.

It also draws lines. The county says the resolution carves out public safety, minors and commercial activity, so it offers nothing to anyone selling.

What it doesn't do

It doesn't change the law, and the county is direct about that. The resolution states the council's position, changes no legal obligation and didn't need the county executive's signature. Possessing psilocybin anywhere in Pierce County is still a gross misdemeanor under state law, and growing or selling it is still a felony.

The sheriff's office made the same point before the vote. At the Public Safety Committee's hearing on August 10, Undersheriff Cyndie Fajardo said of the lowest-priority request, "I want to make it very clear, it already is," and added that the activity is still against the law. In other words, the resolution describes how deputies were already working. It doesn't order a change.

It also speaks only for the county. Tacoma, the county seat, passed its own city resolution in January 2025. Other police departments in the county, the Washington State Patrol and federal agencies set their own priorities.

How it got there

Council Vice Chair Paul Herrera and Councilmember Robyn Denson sponsored it. The Public Safety Committee gave it a do-pass recommendation on August 10 after hearing from veterans, a mental health professional and advocates. Marijuana Moment reported that the Key Peninsula Psychedelic Society had pressed for it for about two years.

The list is now seven

King and Pierce are the state's two most populous counties, and both of their councils have now asked for the same thing from Olympia: decriminalization at the state level. Neither can deliver it. Criminal law in Washington is set by the Legislature, where every psilocybin bill of the last two years died in committee. Our Washington law guide has the details of each local measure and each bill.

What it means if you live in Seattle

Nothing changes in Seattle, which has had its own resolution since 2021. If you cross into Pierce County, the practical picture is similar to Seattle's and no safer: a quiet personal-use situation is a low priority for the sheriff's office, and it is still a crime. Here's how that works in Seattle.

Last checked against the sources above on Nov 12, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.