Last Updated on September 17, 2020
I am of the belief that a wave of support for novel treatments of depression and PTSD are coming to the United States, particularly from the therapeutic use of psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD.
After many years of an expensive drug war that has ruined lives, filled our prisons and cost taxpayers an exorbitant amount of money, Americans are beginning to question to the long-term effects of such obtuse and short-sighted policy making.
In 2015, an antidepressant was the top-selling prescription drug in the US and today, multiple antidepressants rank in the top 25 most prescribed drugs. Meanwhile, rates of depression and mental illness continue to rise, especially among the young, around the globe. Suicidality and self-harm that arrise from depression and PTSD, are only part of the long-term harm to our society. Mental illness is a significant contributor to cormorbidities such as hyptertension, heart attack, heart disease, obesity, drug addiction and more.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientists to see that simply relying on FDA-approved antidepressants to address the mental health crisis alone isn’t working. We need alternative treatments and psychedelics, especially under the care of a trained professional, offer a new option that many who have experienced a significant trip will attest not only aids in their mental health but offers a transcendent mindshift in their role in the world and connectivity within it.
I’ll be using this post to track the legal status and ongoing efforts to legalize psilocybin use in the United States.
| State | Spores Legal | Legal Status | Efforts to Decriminalize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Alaska | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Arizona | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Arkansas | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| California | Prohibited | Prohibited for Any Use | Decriminalized in Oakland and Santa Cruz |
| Colorado | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Connecticut | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Delaware | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Florida | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Georgia | Prohibited | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Hawaii | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Idaho | Prohibited | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Illinois | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Indiana | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Iowa | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Kansas | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Kentucky | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Louisiana | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Maine | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Maryland | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Massachusetts | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Michigan | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Minnesota | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Mississippi | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Missouri | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Montana | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Nebraska | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Nevada | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| New Jersey | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| New Mexico | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| New York | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | Bill to decriminalize introduced in May 2020 |
| North Carolina | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| North Dakota | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Ohio | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Oklahoma | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Oregon | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | Legalization (Measure 109) to appear on November 2020 ballot |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| South Carolina | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| South Dakota | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Tennessee | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Texas | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Utah | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Vermont | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Virginia | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Washington | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| West Virginia | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Wisconsin | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| Wyoming | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | - |
| District of Columbia | Yes | Prohibited for Any Use | Decriminalization on ballot for November 2020 |
City and Statewide Ballot Initiatives
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Supported by Decriminalize Nature Ann Arbor (DNA2).
Oregon
“Measure 109 will create a psilocybin therapy program so Oregonians have the best therapeutic options available.”