Massachusetts Lawmakers Will Be Forced To Consider Psychedelics Legalization Measure That Activists Petitioned … – Marijuana Moment

Massachusetts officials have certified that activists submitted enough valid signatures to force legislative consideration of a psychedelics legalization initiative before the measure potentially heads to the states 2024 ballot.

Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvins (D) office certified that the campaign Massachusetts for Mental Health Options (MMHO) collected 96,277 valid signatures for the reform measureabout 20,000 more than required to put the issue before legislators.

Accordingly, the proposal has now been officially transmitted to the legislature.

This brings psilocybin and other breakthrough psychedelic therapies one big step closer to being available to adults dealing with depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges, Jennifer Manley, committee spokesperson, said in a press release on Wednesday.

We look forward to working with legislative leaders on the possibility and promise of natural psychedelic medicine as we continue our work to provide therapeutic access to these groundbreaking treatments, she said. We thank the secretary and his staff for their service reviewing the nearly 100,000 signatures submitted in support, as well as the volunteers and advocates who spent many hours talking to voters around the state.

The announcement came after a longer-than-usual review process, which was due to an especially high volume of ballot proposals that were being circulated for the 2024 election cycle.

The MMHO measure would create a regulatory framework for lawful and supervised access to psychedelics at licensed facilities. It would also legalize the possession and gifting of psychedelics such as psilocybin and ayahuasca, but it would not otherwise provide for commercial retail sales of the substances.

We are on the precipice of a sea change in the way we can help people who may believe they have run out of options, Winthrop police lieutenant Sarko Gergerian, one of the campaigns backers, said. Dont lose hope. These options could be available soon for you and your loved ones here in Massachusetts.

The campaignfirst filed two different psychedelics reform initiatives in August, and after the state attorney general determined thatthey both met the constitutional requirement for ballot placementthe following months, activists decided to pursue the version that included a home cultivation option.

Now that the secretary of state has verified the signature count, the legislature will now have the choice to enact the reform, propose a substitute or decline to act. If lawmakers decide not to legalize psychedelics by May 1, activists would then have until July 3 to submit at least 12,429 additional valid signatures to put the proposal before voters on the November 2024 ballot.

Here are the keydetailsof the Natural Psychedelic Substances Act:

Activists hit a temporary snag in November after local officials flagged problems with a sizable batch of petitions that featured a union logo in violation of the states ballot rules. The campaign responded by deploying hundreds of petitioners for an intensive signature drive, more than making up the difference.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) recently introduced legislation that includes provisions tocreate a psychedelics working group to study and make recommendationsabout the potential therapeutic benefits of substances like psilocybin and MDMA for military veterans.

Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,000 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they dont miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.

A local psychedelics reform group, Bay Staters for Natural Medicine (BSNM), says its preparing to offer lawmakers a revised version of the initiative this spring. The group, which previously expressed support for the ballot measure version allowing home cultivation, is now proposing to strike language on creating a regulatory commission to oversee the program, and it also wants to give localities that authority to restrict psychedelics services in their areas.

BSNM has helped enact local policies to deprioritize enforcement of laws against psychedelics in six cities:Salem,Somerville,Cambridge,Easthampton,Northampton, Amherst and Provincetown.

Separately, in the Massachusetts legislature, a Republican lawmakerfiled three psychedelics reform bills in April, including proposals to legalize substances like psilocybin and reschedule MDMA pending federal approval while setting a price cap on therapeutic access.

There are several other pieces of psychedelics legislation that have been introduced in Massachusetts for the session by other legislators, includingseparatemeasuresto legalize certain entheogenic substances for adults.

Anotherbillwould authorize the Department of Public Health to conduct a comprehensive study into the potential therapeutic effects of synthetic psychedelics like MDMA.

Rep. Mike Connolly (D) also filed a bill in 2021that received a Joint Judiciary Committee hearingonstudying the implications of legalizing entheogenic substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca.

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Massachusetts Lawmakers Will Be Forced To Consider Psychedelics Legalization Measure That Activists Petitioned ... - Marijuana Moment