Pubdate: Wed, 16 May 2018
Source: Philadelphia Daily News (PA)
Copyright: 2018 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.
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Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/339
Author: Barbara Feder Ostrov, Kaiser Health News

NOW THAT MARIJUANA IS LEGAL, COULD MAGIC MUSHROOMS BE NEXT?

In Oregon and Denver, where marijuana is legal for recreational use,
activists are now pushing toward a psychedelic frontier: "magic mushrooms."

Groups in both states are sponsoring ballot measures that would
eliminate criminal penalties for possession of the mushrooms whose
active ingredient, psilocybin, can cause hallucinations, euphoria and
changes in perception. They point to research showing that psilocybin
might be helpful for people suffering from depression or anxiety.

"We don't want individuals to lose their freedom over something that's
natural and has health benefits," said Kevin Matthews, the campaign
director of Denver for Psilocybin, the group working to decriminalize
magic mushrooms in Colorado's capital.

The recent failure of a nationally publicized campaign to
decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms in California may not portend
well for the psilocybin advocates in Oregon and Denver - though their
initiatives are more limited than California's.

The proposal in the Golden State would have decriminalized sales and
transportation of magic mushrooms, not just possession. The proposed
Denver measure would apply only to that city, while in Oregon mushroom
use would be allowed only with the approval of a physician and under
the supervision of a registered therapist.

None of the proposed initiatives envisions fully legalizing psilocybin
mushrooms, which would allow the government to regulate and tax sales
in a similar fashion to medical and recreational marijuana.

In Oregon, advocates face a steep climb to qualify their measure for
the ballot, because such statewide initiatives typically require
hiring paid signature gatherers, said William Lunch, a political
analyst for Oregon Public Broadcasting and a former political science
professor at Oregon State University.

Still, familiarity with recreational marijuana may have "softened up"
voters and opponents of drug decriminalization, he said. Oregon
legalized marijuana for recreational use in 2015, Colorado in 2012.

The Oregon and Denver activists, echoing Lunch, say they hope voters
who already accepted pot would now feel comfortable decriminalizing
personal use of magic mushrooms as well.

Taking mushrooms can lead to nausea, panic attacks and, rarely,
paranoia and psychosis. But they generally are considered safer and
less addictive than other illegal street drugs.

Even so, Paul Hutson, professor of pharmacy at the University of
Wisconsin who has conducted psilocybin research, says he is wary of
the drive for decriminalization. Psilocybin isn't safe for some people
- - particularly those with paranoia or psychosis, he said.

"I reject the idea that that this is a natural progression from
medical marijuana," Hutson said, noting that the safety of pot is much
better established. Mushrooms, he added, "are very, very potent
medicines that are affecting your mind. In the proper setting, they're
safe, but in an uncontrolled fashion, I have grave concerns."

Even psilocybin advocates share Hutson's concerns. "It is such a
powerful compound. People should take it very seriously when
experimenting," Matthews said.

These efforts to legitimize hallucinogenic mushrooms come at a time of
renewed interest in the potential mental health benefits of
psychedelics, including mushrooms, LSD and MDMA (known as ecstasy).
Two small studies published in 2016 by researchers from Johns Hopkins
University and New York University found that a single large dose of
psilocybin, combined with psychotherapy, helped relieve depression and
anxiety in cancer patients.

A British company backed by Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel plans
clinical studies in eight European countries to test the use of
psilocybin for depression. Other research has examined the
effectiveness of psilocybin in treating alcohol and tobacco addiction.

In California, the campaign to decriminalize psilocybin was always a
long shot - even though the famously liberal state legalized
possession of recreational marijuana in November 2016 and sales
starting this year.

California ballot measures typically require nearly 366,000 signatures
to qualify, and supporters usually have to spend between $1 million
and $2 million to pay signature gatherers. A Monterey County couple
leading the decriminalization campaign managed to collect more than
90,000 signatures for their proposal with the help of volunteers, but
they halted their efforts late last month.

The initiative would have exempted Californians 21 and over from
criminal penalties for possessing, selling, transporting or
cultivating psilocybin mushrooms.

Possessing them is generally a misdemeanor under California law, but
selling them is a felony. State statistics on psilocybin offenses are
scarce, but few people are jailed for such crimes, according to an
analysis by the California attorney general's office.

"It's not a reckless community," said Kitty Merchant of Marina,
Calif., who spearheaded the California psilocybin campaign alongside
her husband, Kevin Saunders. "It's experimentation with your mind and
your thoughts. There's a safeness to it. And there's an intelligence
to it."

Merchant said she and Saunders, both medical marijuana advocates,
spent about $20,000 of their own money on the campaign.

In Denver, Matthews and his pro-psilocybin colleagues want voters to
pass a city ordinance eliminating criminal penalties for possessing,
using or growing magic mushrooms. City officials have cleared the
measure for signature gathering. Supporters need 5,000 signatures to
get it on the ballot in November. Matthews said he has already lined
up dozens of volunteer signature gatherers.

He said he has used mushrooms to help alleviate depression and other
mental health problems. A big part of the decriminalization campaign,
he said, is promoting responsible use.

Denver, a progressive city in a state that was the first to legalize
recreational marijuana, "is a good testing place for this initiative
nationwide," Matthews said. Just getting it on the ballot, whether or
not it passes, would be "a huge victory," he added.

In Oregon, activists are proposing a measure for the 2020 ballot that
would decriminalize psilocybin statewide for adults 21 and over who
get approval from their doctors and agree to participate in a
"psilocybin service." The service would include a preparatory meeting
with a therapist, one session of supervised mushroom use and a
follow-up visit. Patients would be under the care of state-certified
"Psilocybin Service Facilitators."

Tom Eckert, a Portland, Ore.-based therapist who leads the psilocybin
decriminalization campaign with his wife, Sheri, said the proposed
limitations on psilocybin use are important.

"Psilocybin is generally safe, but it puts you in a vulnerable state
of mind," he said. "If you do it in the wrong setting, things can go
sideways."
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