AMERICANS will be able to grow “bedroom-sized” crops of magic mushrooms, warn opponents of a controversial new law.
The question going on the US presidential election ballot for voters in Massachusetts would legalize and regulate the use of some psychedelic drugs.
Voters in Massachusetts will be able to vote for the legalization of psychedelic substances this election[/caption]
Two of the substances that would be legalized under Question Four include psilocybin and psilocyn, both of which are found in magic mushrooms.
The other three would be dimethyltryptamine, mescaline, and ibogaine, all of which are found in plants.
A “yes” vote on November 5 would allow anyone over the age of 21 in Massachusetts to grow and use those psychedelic substances.
It would also create a commission to regulate those drugs.
A “no” vote would mean no current change to the law, and psychedelic substances would remain illegal.
The proposed law comes four years after the state of Oregon became the first to decriminalize psychedelic drugs.
Ballot Measure 109 in November 2020 also legalized the use of psilocybin for supervised non-medical use.
That same year, the District of Columbia passed Initiative 81, decriminalizing psilocybin drugs and making arrests for their possession the lowest priority for police in Washington DC.
Supporters claim the legalizing of psychedelics would help with mental health issues, as well as reduce costly prison sentences.
Actress Eliza Dushku Palandjian, who rose to fame on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” described how the drug had been life-changing for her.
“Psychedelics have an ability to heal and to help people with mental health challenges,” she told WBZ-TV.
Describing how conventional health care hadn’t worked for her, she added that since beginning psychedelic treatment, “I’ve completely changed my life.
“I was hopeless and in pain, to today, where how far I’ve come, I think others should have that option as well.”
But opponents of the proposal say it is “dangerous,” and is moving too fast.
They like to call it natural, but this is not natural. This is not medicine.
Chris Keohan
“This just goes way too far, and it should not move forward,” Chris Keohan, from the Coalition for Safe Communities, told The U.S. Sun.
“Two-thirds of the funding for the yes side has come from venture capitalists and folks that have a direct investment in psychedelics.
“So they’re the folks ready to make a profit.”
Much of the campaigning for the “yes” side has focused on the potential of psychedelic drugs to help treat veterans suffering from conditions such as PTSD, something Keohan branded “disgusting.”
He went on, “I find it completely offensive that they would be using veterans in their ads and utilizing the pain that they have suffered through PTSD to move their agenda along, knowing full well that they couldn’t possibly afford the facilities that they’re talking about bringing to Massachusetts.”
Keohan, a father of two and political campaigner, says his opposition isn’t an anti-drug position across the board.
He supported the legalization of recreational marijuana in Massachusetts on July 28, 2017.
But this new law represents something very different, he says.
“The more I read about this, the more I realized how dangerous it truly was,” he added.
“It allows for 144 square feet of home growth, which in Massachusetts is the average size of a bedroom.
“It’s far in excess of what a single person or even a family could possibly use,” he went on. “So it would lead to a black market.”
LEGALIZING PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS
QUESTION Four on the Massachusetts ballot in November would legalize psychedelic drugs for use and growth. This is what the law would entail.
Question 4 would authorize the newly created Natural Psychedelic Substances Commission and Advisory Board to adopt regulations for the licensing of psychedelic substances and services. The initiative would require the following license categories:
- a psychedelic therapy center license,
- a facilitator license,
- a cultivation, processing, or sales-only license, and
- a testing license.
The commission and the advisory board would also be required to adopt regulations related to holding preparation, administration, and integration sessions; health and safety warnings provided before administration; educational materials provided before services; safety screening provided by a facilitator before a participant completes a session; health forms; proper supervision during administration; group administration sessions; testing natural psychedelic substances; standards for advertising and marketing; insurance requirements; and age verification.
Question 4 would also authorize individuals 21 years of age or older to grow, possess, and use natural psychedelic substances. The initiative defines natural psychedelic substances as “substances from a plant or fungus and any plant, fungus or preparation containing those substances: (1) Dimethyltryptamine; (2) Mescaline; (3) Ibogaine; (4) Psilocybin; or (5) Psilocyn.” Individuals would be allowed to grow the plants or fungi as long as the area does not exceed 12 feet by 12 feet and is secured from access by persons 21 years of age or younger.
Currently, psychedelic substances are classified as Schedule I controlled substances under state law.
Source: Ballotipedia
He also said that the so-called “clinics” where people would be able to buy psychedelics didn’t require medical professionals to be on site.
And similar “clinics” around the country are charging between $750 and $3,500 per visit, which Keohan says puts them far out of reach of most people who may require this treatment.
“I voted yes on the marijuana ballot question eight years ago,” Keohan said. “This goes much further than that and it allows for five different psychedelics.
“One of which Ibogaine has a lengthy recorded history of causing severe heart heart problems.
“They like to call it natural, but this is not natural. This is not medicine.”
