Massachusetts Voters Reject Medical Use of Psychedelics in Close Ballot Measure

LOS ANGELES- Massachusetts voters have rejected a proposed measure to legalize the medical use of certain psychedelics, with 57% voting against and 43% in favor. The initiative sought to permit the use of psilocybin, psilocin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ibogaine, and mescaline for therapeutic treatment in patients aged 21 and older. It would have allowed patients to grow these substances at home and undergo treatment at licensed centers under the guidance of certified facilitators.

The measure’s supporters argued that psychedelic therapies could significantly benefit patients struggling with mental health issues such as depression, PTSD, and cancer-related anxiety. They also suggested the initiative could create a pathway to tax revenue from a regulated medical psychedelics market. Backed by the Massachusetts for Mental Health Options campaign, proponents raised over $7.5 million to promote the measure, far outpacing the opposition’s $107,000.

Opponents, however, raised concerns over potential challenges with home cultivation and the absence of robust regulatory mechanisms. They argued that allowing private cultivation of psychedelics posed risks to public safety and went beyond the structures typically seen in regulated therapeutic settings.

Massachusetts’ ballot measure followed precedents set by Oregon and Colorado, where psychedelics were legalized for medical use in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Washington, D.C., also decriminalized several psychedelic substances in 2020. Yet, psychedelics remain Schedule I substances under federal law, defined as having no accepted medical use.

Despite growing interest in psychedelics’ therapeutic potential, the Massachusetts vote reflects continued debate on how best to regulate these substances within a medical framework, balancing potential benefits with safety and oversight concerns.