Massachusetts voters may get the chance to cast ballots to legalize access to some psychedelic substances this fall. And though advocates say the Oregon psilocybin therapy program that would be used as a model for Massachusetts is beneficial for veterans suffering from PTSD and others with mental health issues, the price tag for treatment in the Beaver State makes the therapy inaccessible for most.
Mass. for Mental Health Options, the campaign pursuing the ballot question, hosted a briefing last week to discuss legal psychedelic substances in Oregon and their use in behavioral health treatment, and how Oregonians’ experience could help inform Massachusetts’ legalization effort.
Advocates argue that psilocybin, the active compound in “magic mushrooms,” has shown promise in treating mental health conditions like depression, PTSD, and addiction, citing a growing body of research supporting their therapeutic benefits.
If approved by voters, Massachusetts would join a growing number of states and cities across the country in reevaluating the legal status of psychedelics. In recent years, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington, D.C. have enacted measures to decriminalize or legalize these substances, reflecting a shifting cultural and political landscape surrounding psychedelic drug policy.
Bay Staters for Natural Medicine has been a driving force in agreements between Massachusetts municipalities and their local police forces to decriminalize psychedelic plants.
Somerville, Cambridge, Northampton, Easthampton, Provincetown and Salem have all passed such measures, making Massachusetts the state with the most decriminalized cities in the country, according to the coalition. In Worcester, the substance is decriminalized for veterans and first responders, and the Amherst Town Council passed a resolution supporting decimalization.
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https://www.gazettenet.com/Psychedelics-petition-backers-look-to-Oregon-as-model-54059652
