A new dimension of mental health treatments has been included in this year’s statewide ballot. Several towns across Massachusetts voiced their support and inclusion of question 4, on the ballot, including Sommerville which was the first to endorse this question on July 6th, Cambridge on August 5th, and Medford on August 15th. The citizen led ballot question seeks to promote accessibility to natural psychedelic medicines as therapeutic treatment for numerous mental health conditions.
Other questions on the Massachusetts voting ballot in order include the state auditor’s authority to audit the legislature (1), elimination of MCAs as high school graduation requirement (2), unionization for transportation network drivers (3), and minimum wage for tipped workers (5).
Psychedelic treatment refers to the use of psilocybin/psilocin, mescaline, DMT and DMT containing ayahuasca in medicine to treat severe mental health issues such as PTSD, anxiety and treatment resistant depression. Medical use of psychedelics has proved particularly helpful for veterans with PTSD or end of life anxiety, as there are currently limited treatment options. This could be groundbreaking for reducing suicide rates, particularly among students, young people and veterans.
The “Yes on 4” campaign has attempted to gain more traction across the state this election season, pursuing efforts to spread awareness among student journalists. Graham Moore, Educational Outreach Director for “Yes on 4,” has been one of the main advocates for this campaign, addressing members of various city councils in speeches and open letters, such as his open letter to Dr. Anahita Dua, Chair of the Coalition for Safe Communities, which was published in Medium. Tufts Daily has also reported on this question. Other leaders in the campaign include community engagement director and head of Parents for Plant Medicine Jamie Morey and grassroots campaign director Emily Oneschuck.
“I am an OCD patient who used psilocybin to heal, and I have been a caregiver for two loved ones with severe suicidality leading to hospitalization, including my best friend who died of suicide” Moore shared. “Jamie is a mother of four and the spouse of an Iraq War combat veteran with treatment-resistant mental illness. Emily is a Navy veteran who treated her service-related PTSD with psilocybin,” he added.
Question 4 is included across Massachusetts ballots, including those of Wenham, Hamilton and Beverly. However, the recent inclusion of this question on the ballot has not been without pushback. Some opponents argue that this “deliberately mislead[s] and provide[s] false hope to our brave service members who are battling mental health issues with this dangerous ballot question,” said James Davis of Bay Staters for Natural Medicine.
Many of the proponents also share demographic commonalities with their opponents; opponents of the psychedelic ballot question also include veterans, and medical and mental health professionals. Their points of concern about increased driving under the influence accidents, dangers to pets and children due to home access and high risk for high-risk patients without professional medical access.
Another reason for concern is that some therapeutic drugs in Phase III trial do not pass this trial. However, psychedelics cannot be compared to new drugs being tested by the FDA, since tens of millions of people have used psychedelics, whereas other anti-depressant drugs such as Prozac were approved prior to reaching a certain quota of users. Leading medical research institutions Johns Hopkins and Mass General have attested to the breakthrough medical potential that psychedelic treatments have to offer.
Other states where psychedelics are legal for individuals 21 years and older for medical treatment are Oregon and Colorado. This would also involve decriminalization, which would help destigmatize their use.
“Question 4 does not allow retail sales or storefronts. Rather, it establishes a regulatory framework for psychedelic therapy centers, which would administer psychedelics exclusively under the supervision of licensed facilitators, with an approximately two-year implementation period,” Moore said.
A majority yes-vote, according to the Hamilton-Wenham league of Women voters, would “allow persons over age 21 to use certain natural psychedelic substances under licensed supervision and to grow and possess limited quantities of those substances in their home, and would create a commission to regulate those substances,” while a majority no-vote would make no change in the current legislation on this issue. The Hamilton-Wenham league of Women voters have maintained a neutral stance on all questions included in the 2024 Massachusetts Ballot.
If this question is approved, the steps following approval would include the creation of a National Psychedelics Substance Advisory Board in early 2025 by MA governor Maura Healy, developing rules and regulations for program oversight and operations, and monitoring and evaluating the program accordingly.
Local voting will take place on the same date as national elections, November 5th, 2024. College students can register to vote locally in local elections online, by mail or in person. If you are already registered to vote in your hometown, update your voter registration with your college address.
For more information on the science, research and stories behind this psychedelic ballot question, visit Home | Massachusetts for Mental Health Options.
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