Oregon recently legalized the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. Thanks to the Oregon Measure 109, psilocybin will be legally accessed from now on for mental health treatment in supervised conditions.
Although other cities also legalized and regulated the access to psilocybin, Oregon is the first state in the US to legalize it statewide if it passes and becomes a law.
The supporters of this measure emphasized the advantages of psilocybin which was concluded in some studies to be effective for trauma survivors.
Therapy with usage of psychedelics has been on the rise in the last years and stirred quite the interest among investors, including Peter Thiel, a billionaire investor.
The Psychedelic Renaissance Is Happening
The co-founder of Field Trip Health, a company from Toronto which provides psychotherapy with psychedelics, Ronan Levy, said that these ballot wins are amazing news for the psychedelic renaissance.
Ongoing research is showing that there are advantages of using psychedelic drugs to better the therapy and there’s currently no mental health condition that it’s not being researched for.
But, it’s pivotal to note that the drug on its own isn’t necessarily helpful-supervision by a trained personnel is safer, according to Field Trip Health.
For Levy, he’s confident that more states will begin to legalize the usage of psychedelics in supervised settings in the upcoming years.
What Do People in the US Think about Psychedelics?
The citizens of America have conflicting views on psychedelic mushrooms-53 percent of a 2017 survey on YouGov said they’re supportive of the medical research whereas one survey by Vox done in 2016 discovered that only 22 percent of individuals support the decriminalization of magic mushrooms.
According to Albert Garcia-Romeu, PhD and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University who specializes in psychedelics, he’s worried that like most drugs; psilocybin can be abused and comes with a risk, so a local decriminalization may open the doors for irresponsible usage.
Namely, with more legalization and decriminalization, people throughout the country will become more curious about them and may try them.
Still, Garcia believes this decriminalization is a major step forward-penalty for possession or usage isn’t necessarily effective in stopping use.