Newswise — A report released today by the Center for State Policy Analysis (cSPA) at Tufts University's Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life evaluates the potential impact of Massachusetts Ballot Question 4, which would legalize a group of naturally occurring psychedelic drugs — psilocybin, psilocyn, mescaline, DMT, and ibogaine — for use at home and eventually in a network of therapy centers.
"Two other states have legalized select psychedelics," said Evan Horowitz, executive director of cSPA. "But Question 4 goes further, with therapy centers that can offer a wider array of psychedelic drugs. Massachusetts voters need to decide if they want to be at the vanguard of this experiment."
Today’s report is the fourth in a series covering all five state ballot questions, the last of which will be released next Tuesday.
Key findings include:
- Psilocybin (found in "magic mushrooms") shows promise as a treatment for some serious mental health conditions, including anxiety among patients with terminal illnesses.
- Psychedelics are associated with some substantial harms. For instance, ibogaine can cause acute cardiac problems, while DMT (used in ayahuasca) may have lasting neurological effects.
- The rules for using psychedelics would be different from current laws around marijuana. Adults will not be able to purchase psychedelics at a retail outlet. They will need to grow their own, find a person willing to share, or use at a licensed facility.
- Treatment at licensed psychedelic therapy centers would likely be expensive, encouraging more at-home and personal use, where the lack of guidance and oversight brings heightened risk.
- Federal authorities consider all of these drugs illegal, so passing Question 4 could put Massachusetts at risk of a future federal backlash.
cSPA’s analyses of Questions 1 through 3 are available for review. Next Tuesday, cSPA will release its final report on this year’s state ballot questions in Massachusetts.
cSPA provides expert, nonpartisan analysis of legislative proposals and ballot questions in Massachusetts. It is based at Tufts University and supported by Tisch College along with a diverse group of funding sources from across the political spectrum. These funders have no involvement in cSPA's work across the Massachusetts ballot questions.
RSS