Massachusetts Activists Push For Psychedelics Decriminalization: What You Need To Know

Activists in Massachusetts are looking to decriminalize psychedelics locally and at the state level: a new campaign by the Bay Staters for National Medicine is gathering signatures to include a decriminalization measure on the November ballot, Marijuana Moment reported.

The Worcester Decrim Effort: If enough signatures are gathered, Worcester voters could decriminalize low-level possession of all illicit drugs, and, if psychedelics reform is undertaken by the city, Worcester would be join four other Bay State cities that already enacted similar policy changes: Cambridge, Northampton, Easthampton and Sommerville.

If the measure were passed, no government body in the city, law enforcement included, would be able to criminalize adults 18 and older for possessing or sharing up to 5 grams of any controlled substance. In the case of some substances such as psilocybin, DMT, mescaline, MDMA or ibogaine, local agencies wouldn’t be able to use funds to prosecute adults for possessing, cultivating or sharing up to 15 grams of the substances. Paraphernalia such as “pipes, syringes, needles or testing strips” also would be decriminalized. 

Statewide Psychedelics Initiative: There is also a statewide effort to push forth psychedelics legislation — citizens can make the legislators file bills “by request” even if the sponsor doesn’t personally back the policy requested. James Davis, from BSNM, said that around 400 people already signed up to file a “by request” bill to regulate access to certain psychedelics.

Photo courtesy from Wikimedia Commons