There has never been a better time to legalize psychedelics and de-escalate the war on drugs. In a recently unearthed audio clip, former US President and main architect of the war on drugs, Richard M. Nixon, described marijuana as “not particularly dangerous,” which he said in 1973. Two years after formally launching the so-called “war on drugs,” an undertaking by the administration and every proceeding administration since to administer harsh sentences for those selling, distributing, or using drugs. On the ballot in November, Massachusetts voters have a choice: either continue the anti-drug chicanery or finally legalize another substance that (shocker!) is also not particularly dangerous: psychedelic mushrooms.
There are active campaigns both for and against the measure. The main opposition to the campaign is The Coalition For Safe Communities. Which is an organization that claims that if question 4 passes, it would lead to an “unregulated black market” and that question is a “danger to children.” These simple taglines are reminiscent of campaigns in the mid to late 2010s aimed at stopping the legalization of marijuana. Ironically, The Coalition For Safe Communities even lambasts edibles and marijuana as being a cause of a supposed increase of drug intoxication in children. The chair of the organization Dr. Anahita Dua, has admitted that psychedelics could be useful in “certain disease processes,” but added that we do not have enough data to conclude the psychedelics should be legalized.
On the other hand, the organization supporting the ballot measure, Massachusetts for Mental Health Options, has tried to rebut critics. They say that the substances are not addictive, are comprehensively regulated, and greatly benefit people with severe anxiety and PTSD. Places where psychedelics have been legalized have not seen widespread negative effects. In the Netherlands, where such products are legal, less than 1% of Dutch people actually use them, in addition, Oregon has legalized them, and out of the over 12,000 legally administered doses, only four have led to hospitalization. It should also be noted that the ballot measure does not allow storefronts for products to be sold recreationally; rather, they would be sold in licensed facilities employing professionals and therapists with a required amount of training.
As the United States battles a mental health crisis, it is clear we must look for any way to get people the help they need. Ballot measure four would allow patients to try an alternative to traditional medicine that has many studies behind it showing that it can be used to provide life saving care.
Vote yes on four, end the war on drugs.