According to a recent poll, a strong majority of Americans support legalizing and regulation of psychedelics therapy and most back federally criminalizing substances such as MDMA and Psilocybin.
Breakthrough Bulletin’s survey comes amid an influx of psychedelics reforms taking place in legislative bodies across the country.
They found that 60 percent of likely voters are in favor giving adults “access regulated psychedelic treatment.” This includes 72% of Democrats, 58% of independents, and 49% of Republicans.
After people were provided with additional context on emerging research about the benefits of psychedelics in mental health conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA’s) decision to classify MDMA and psilocybin as “breakthrough treatments”, support for reform soared.
That information led to 68 percent of respondents saying they support reform to allow psychedelics therapy within regulated settings. All parties were supported by the majority: Democrats (72%), Republicans (67%), and independents (64%).
This is a significant jump of 18% for GOP respondents.
The pollster then provided information about the opposition perspective. He noted that “these substances have been known to cause people hallucinate, and enter an altered reality which can be very dangerous, both for the person receiving it and the ones who administer it.”
Despite this context, the majority of support for reform remained strong at 58 per cent overall. This includes 76% of Democrats, 53% of independents, and a 42% plurality of Republicans.
Further, the survey asked about possible federal policy changes. It pointed out that even though evidence supports their effectiveness in mental health treatment, simple possession of MDMA or psilocybin could result in a felony conviction.
Respondents were asked if they would support or oppose a federal law that removes criminal penalties for adults who possess substances such as psilocybin or MDMA. 53 percent of respondents said they would.
The support was similar in partisan terms with 64% of Democrats, 55% of independents, and 42% of Republicans backing the policy change.
The poll also asked people if they would vote for a lawmaker in the upcoming election if it was proposed to allow adults over 21 to access regulated psilocybin treatment to address the mental crisis.
Respondents indicated that 58% of them would be more inclined to support a lawmaker who promoted that reform, which includes 71 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of independents, as well as 48 percent of Republicans.
Interviews were conducted with 1,704 potential voters between February 26 and March 3.
This poll is the only one that has been published in light of the reform movement. Similar surveys that focus on particular jurisdictions, such as Colorado or Washington D.C., have also revealed public interest in changing the laws surrounding the substances. However, the national sentiment has not been thoroughly studied.
However, YouGov’s last-year poll found that the majority of Americans support research into the therapeutic effects of substances such as MDMA to treat military service personnel.
While this session is underway, legislators from states with widely divergent political compositions have spent significant time on psychedelics reform. More than a dozen states have introduced bills to address this issue so far in the year.
For example, last week, the Minnesota House Committee voted to create a task force that would study and recommend legalizing psychedelics such as MDMA, psilocybin and ibogaine.
Texas legislators have recently filed a number of new bills that aim to promote and expand psychedelics research within the state.
The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill to encourage research into the therapeutic potential of Psilocybin and provide legal protections against prosecution of people with qualifying conditions who have the psychedelic.
A hearing was held by a Rhode Island House Committee this month on a bill to remove penalties for possession and use of psilocybin, and allow home cultivation of psychedelic mushroom for personal use.
Washington State Senate passed a bill to establish a taskforce to support research into psilocybin, and to develop legal access to the psychedelic.
The three psychedelics research bill passed the Hawaii Senate and House earlier in the month.
Missouri lawmakers approved a GOP-led bill this month that would allow for research into the therapeutic value of certain psychedelics like ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin.
These are just a few of the reforms being considered by legislators in this session.
Based on statistical modeling of policy trends, an analysis published last year in the American Medical Association journal concluded that most states will legalize psychotropic drugs by 2037.
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The post Majority of Americans Back Legalizing Psychedelics Treatment and Federally Decriminalizing Substances Like Psilocybin was first published on Marijuana Minute.
