BOSTON, MA – As reported by the Boston Globe and Lucid News, former staffers on the “Yes on 4” Massachusetts 2024 psychedelics ballot measure campaign alleged the campaign had improperly used veterans charity Heroic Hearts Project and psychedelics nonprofit Open Circle Alliance to raise and spend at least over $700,000 of dark money. Whistleblowers Jamie Morey and Graham Moore provided detailed information to the state campaign finance watchdog, alleging they were partially compensated for their campaign work through fraudulent Heroic Hearts Project contracts and invoices, among other issues. Citing recent reporting, the Massachusetts Republican Party called for “a thorough review of these disturbing allegations” in a public statement.
YES on 4
Question 4: Limited Legalization and Regulation of Certain Natural Psychedelic Substances
Law Proposed by Initiative Petition
Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives before May 1, 2024?
Summary
As required by law, summaries are written by the State Attorney General.
proposed law would allow persons aged 21 and older to grow, possess, and use certain natural psychedelic substances in certain circumstances. The psychedelic substances allowed would be two substances found in mushrooms (psilocybin and psilocyn) and three substances found in plants (dimethyltryptamine, mescaline, and ibogaine). These substances could be purchased at an approved location for use under the supervision of a licensed facilitator. This proposed law would otherwise prohibit any retail sale of natural psychedelic substances. This proposed law would also provide for the regulation and taxation of these psychedelic substances.
This proposed law would license and regulate facilities offering supervised use of these psychedelic substances and provide for the taxation of proceeds from those facilities’ sales of psychedelic substances. It would also allow persons aged 21 and older to grow these psychedelic substances in a 12-foot by 12-foot area at their home and use these psychedelic substances at their home. This proposed law would authorize persons aged 21 or older to possess up to one gram of psilocybin, one gram of psilocyn, one gram of dimethyltryptamine, 18 grams of mescaline, and 30 grams of ibogaine (“personal use amount”), in addition to whatever they might grow at their home, and to give away up to the personal use amount to a person aged 21 or over.
This proposed law would create a Natural Psychedelic Substances Commission of five members appointed by the Governor, Attorney General, and Treasurer which would administer the law governing the use and distribution of these psychedelic substances. The Commission would adopt regulations governing licensing qualifications, security, recordkeeping, education and training, health and safety requirements, testing, and age verification. This proposed law would also create a Natural Psychedelic Substances Advisory Board of 20 members appointed by the Governor, Attorney General, and Treasurer which would study and make recommendations to the Commission on the regulation and taxation of these psychedelic substances.
This proposed law would allow cities and towns to reasonably restrict the time, place, and manner of the operation of licensed facilities offering psychedelic substances, but cities and towns could not ban those facilities or their provision of these substances.
The proceeds of sales of psychedelic substances at licensed facilities would be subject to the state sales tax and an additional excise tax of 15 percent. In addition, a city or town could impose a separate tax of up to two percent. Revenue received from the additional state excise tax, license application fees, and civil penalties for violations of this proposed law would be deposited in a Natural Psychedelic Substances Regulation Fund and would be used, subject to appropriation, for administration of this proposed law.
Using the psychedelic substances as permitted by this proposed law could not be a basis to deny a person medical care or public assistance, impose discipline by a professional licensing board, or enter adverse orders in child custody cases absent clear and convincing evidence that the activities created an unreasonable danger to the safety of a minor child.
This proposed law would not affect existing laws regarding the operation of motor vehicles while under the influence, or the ability of employers to enforce workplace policies restricting the consumption of these psychedelic substances by employees. This proposed law would allow property owners to prohibit the use, display, growing, processing, or sale of these psychedelic substances on their premises. State and local governments could continue to restrict the possession and use of these psychedelic substances in public buildings or at schools.
This proposed law would take effect on December 15, 2024.
Morey and Moore allege that Yes on 4 campaign director Jared Moffat instructed them to re-direct their invoices for campaign bonuses to Heroic Hearts Project, encouraged them to sign contracts they later learned clearly appeared to be in violation of campaign finance law, and seemingly misled Heroic Hearts Project about the nature of the work being invoiced, claiming it was not campaign related. In a revealing text message, Moffat instructs Morey: “Can you change the title of the invoice, can’t be ‘yes on 4.’” The Heroic Hearts Projects contracts, worth a total of $16,000, provided to Morey and Moore, specifically excluded “lobbying” (campaign work), and the bonus compensation they were paid did not seem to have been disclosed by the ballot campaign as required by law.
Moore uncovered apparent campaign finance violations while he and Morey were investigating other concerns about campaign mismanagement, consulted an attorney knowledgeable in campaign finance law, and promptly filed a report after better understanding the legal and ethical implications of the campaign’s actions. Important outstanding questions remain, including:
- Why was Heroic Hearts Project unable to tell the Boston Globe how much it spent on television advertising?
- Did the ballot committee cancel at leastover $900,000 of reserved ad slots in Sept. 2024 to redirect donor funds to Heroic Hearts Project, where they could be spent with less transparency?
- How many campaign vendors received compensation from Heroic Hearts Project or Open Circle Alliance?
- How much money did Open Circle Alliance receive while having a campaign staffer as its treasurer?
- Why didn’t the ballot committee’s chair, Danielle McCourt, whose personal consultancy DLM Strategies was paid over $160,000 by the ballot committee for part-time work, defend the campaign’s conduct to the Boston Globeor to Lucid News?
Morey and Moore are concerned about the possibility contributions intended to support psychedelics advocacy or pay for veterans care were not used for their intended purpose.
The former staffers allege the improper concealment of campaign-related spending was part of a pattern of unethical behavior and mismanagement by the campaign, including giving voters highly inaccurate information. For just one example, despite the ballot committee paying $150,000 to Dewey Square Group for lobbying, the campaign’s registered lobbyist appeared unable to convincingly defend the bill’s decriminalization provisions as late as Sept. 2024, telling voters “that you need” the bill’s allotment of 144 square feet of grow space “to even get enough of the active psychedelic component” in psilocybin mushrooms, as he reported in an internal email. As many voters were and are aware, psilocybin mushrooms are potent and plenty can be grown in a small space.
“The unethical behavior and mismanagement of the “Yes on 4” psychedelics ballot campaign exploited the veteran community and mental health patients, contributed to the measure’s loss, and wasted the efforts and donations of generous supporters. We came forward to safeguard the integrity of the psychedelic healing movement and to prevent access to lifesaving therapy being further delayed by repeated failures.” – Jamie Morey and Graham Moore
