Legal Psychedelics: Culture and Local Politics Are Leading the Way

The psychedelic medicine industry is experiencing a remarkable transformation as more communities and jurisdictions recognize the potential benefits of these substances. While federal changes toward legal psychedelics continue to move slowly, local initiatives and cultural changes are playing a pivotal role in spearheading decriminalization and legalization efforts and the future of legal psychedelics.

Local Progress on Legal Psychedelics (Decriminalization and Legalization)

Local jurisdictions across the United States and around the world have taken bold steps to decriminalize and, in some cases, legalize psychedelic substances. These initiatives are driven by growing evidence of the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and the desire to shift away from punitive approaches toward a more compassionate and health-centered model.

Cities such as Denver, Oakland, Santa Cruz, and Ann Arbor have decriminalized the personal use and possession of entheogenic substances like psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, and peyote. Other communities have gone even further by establishing frameworks for regulated access to psychedelics through licensed therapy centers or clinics. For example, the state of Oregon has legalized the use of psilocybin and the Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) has started awarding licenses to psilocybin facilitators, manufacturers, service centers, and laboratories.

Federal Progress Towards Legal Psychedelics

While progress towards legal psychedelics at the federal level has been much slower than local initiatives — there are some efforts underway to advance federal legalization of psychedelics.

In 2022, a first-of-its-kind congressional caucus was formed to advance psychedelic therapy. Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI) will co-chair the Congressional Psychedelics Advancing Clinical Treatments (PACT) Caucus. This bipartisan caucus will look into “ways to alleviate the national mental health crisis through psychedelic science and research.”

In the US Senate, senior senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rand Paul (R-KY) filed a bill that would require the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reschedule breakthrough therapies like psilocybin and MDMA from Schedule I to II. The “Breakthrough Therapies Act”, filed yesterday, proposes a series of amendments to the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA)

Recently, Republican lawmakers and former military veterans have been advocating for the benefits of psychedelic medicine and the urgent need to give soldiers access to these therapies. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) has proposed a piece of legislation called the “Douglas ‘Mike’ Day Psychedelic Therapy to Save Lives Act of 2023,” named after a Navy SEAL who died this year. The bill, if passed, would devote $75 million in federal grant money to research into psychedelics therapy, focused on health conditions faced by veterans and active service members.

Changes in Public Opinion and Cultural Norms

Changes in public opinion play a crucial role in the progress toward legal psychedelics. As communities witness the benefits of legal psychedelics and regulated access to psychedelic therapies, attitudes toward these substances are evolving. And as cultural attitudes change, so will the perspectives of lawmakers and legislators.

The growing body of scientific research, coupled with personal testimonials and community dialogue, is fostering a nuanced understanding of psychedelics and dismantling long-held stigmas. This is being led by both celebrities bringing their experiences with psychedelics to mainstream audiences, and everyday people sharing their stories of psychedelic healing (see our conversation with a former Army soldier and how psychedelic therapy helped his mental health issues).

As more communities embrace the potential benefits of psychedelics and advocate for compassionate, evidence-based approaches, the path towards broader decriminalization and regulated access to psychedelic therapies becomes clearer. The synergy between local initiatives, federal reforms, and changing public attitudes is propelling the psychedelic medicine industry toward a future where these substances can be harnessed for healing, personal growth, and societal well-being.

For more on this, check out Where Are Psychedelics Legal (or Decriminalized)?

The post Legal Psychedelics: Culture and Local Politics Are Leading the Way appeared first on Microdose.

Read More