Dropping acid isn’t just something done in the seventies when things were a little wilder and escapism was simply part of the counterculture of the time. An increasing number of people are returning to psychedelic use in recent years. In fact, an estimated 32 million people in the United States have taken LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), “magic mushrooms” (psilocybin), or mescaline (peyote and other cacti) either recently or at some point in their lives.
Of course, most of us have only heard about the negative implications of using mind-altering drugs, however, the reality is quite different. Psychedelics have a wide range of applications, and their controlled usage, either medical, scientific, or religious, is permitted in the United States and other countries. They are being used by an increasing number of patients and their doctors to treat anxiety, depression, and other mental and physical ailments. Other people, on the other hand, may self-medicate using illegal psychedelics’ to relieve their own depression, worry, and overall tension about the status of the world.
Today psychedelic usage, including plants and fungi, is still illegal at the federal level. However, they have been decriminalized in various forms by numerous state and local governments in recent years. This means they’re still unlawful, but they’re generally at the bottom of the police and prosecutor’s priority list. There are those fighting to decriminalize and legalize psychedelic usage. One recent addition to the list is Easthampton, a city in Massachusetts, that is joining the growing list of cities approving psychedelic reforms.
In October of 2021, Easthampton became the fourth city in Massachusetts to approve psychedelic reforms. This vote was in favor of a resolution calling for the decriminalization of psychedelic drugs and other substances. This would, in turn, allow more people access to certain therapies involving psychedelics as well as remove the criminalization element in regards to local law enforcement. Two bills introduced in the state legislature this year are supported by these local measures. The first would abolish criminal sanctions for possessing all currently illegal drugs, while the second would create a task force to research entheogenic substances with the intention of legalizing and regulating them in the future.
The worry that reducing punishments will lead to increased drug use and criminality among the general populace is a common source of opposition to such initiatives. However, recent research suggests that psychedelics, when used properly, can do more good than harm. Certain psychedelics have been proven to help with opioid withdrawal symptoms, serious depression, and reduce stress and anxiety in cancer patients. Other research suggests that popular psychedelic MDMA, combined with psychological counseling, can provide significant help to patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Ketamine has also seen usage in improving depression symptoms, while LSD may help counteract other aggressive mental and physical disorders.
Psychedelic usage has been common in the United States since the late 1960s, and while it’s difficult to anticipate future cultural trends, its usage has only grown in popularity in the United States. Decriminalization may lead to future research into the beneficial usage of psychedelics and reduce the need for unnecessary arrests and incarcerations. Where do you stand on this issue? Let us know!
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