Massachusetts voters reject psychedelics
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Massachusetts voters rejected a measure to legalize medicinal psychedelics, according to the Associated Press.
State of play: The result is a win for opponents who said the measure would have gone too far by letting patients grow the drugs at home.
- Proponents of Question 4 say residents lost out on a potential therapy for depression, anxiety in cancer patients, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as tax revenue.
Driving the news: The measure failed 56%-43%.
Catch up quick: Question 4 would have regulated the use of five natural psychedelics for people ages 21 and up.
- The DEA currently classifies these substances — psilocybin, psilocin, dimethyltryptamine, ibogaine and mescaline — as Schedule I drugs, meaning they have "no accepted medical use."
By the numbers: Massachusetts for Mental Health Options, the ballot campaign, raised more than $7.5 million and spent nearly as much promoting Question 4, per AdImpact.
- The opposing campaign, the Coalition for Safe Communities, raised $107,000, by contrast.
Zoom out: In 2020, Oregon voters passed a ballot measure decriminalizing psychedelics.
- The first psychedelic treatment centers opened in 2023.
- In 2022, Colorado voters approved a measure decriminalizing the same five psychedelics that Massachusetts considered.