This study shows that decriminalizing psychedelics has a positive impact on those who use them.
Jack Gorsline: Psychedelic State(s), America
A recently published community survey among individuals who use psychoactive substances suggests that local efforts to decriminalize are strongly associated with perceived improvement in safety, access to therapeutic services and psychosocial wellbeing. This is directly contrary to historical fears of such policies destabilizing communities.
The study titled “Perceptions of Psychedelic Decrimalization: Findings From a Community Survey of People Using Psychedelics” was authored and published by Daniel J. Kruger along with Julie Barron and Larry Norris in the peer reviewed journal Social Sciences. The study captures the essence of the third psychedelic age, a time of renewed institutional research and massive pharmaceutical investments as well as a growing grassroots campaign to decriminalize naturally occurring psychedelics on a municipal and state level.
“This research is one step toward better understanding what decriminalization looks like for the people and communities directly experiencing it—and whether the policies we are advocating for are actually helping create the positive community outcomes,” said Co-Author Julie Barron in an exclusive statement provided to Psychedelic State(s) of America about the findings of the study
Researchers surveyed 163 residents of cities such as California, Colorado, or Michigan that had decriminalization laws. The results showed that the changes in policy were largely positive for the communities.
In the study, the authors reported that most respondents (84%) felt improvements in any of the areas listed below as a result of decriminalization. These include: legal risk, social acceptance and substance availability.
Contrary to the warnings of opponents of drug policy reforms, only 5.5 per cent of respondents reported worsened situations in any of these categories. A single participant did not report that the legal risks were worse after decriminalization.
This study shows that decriminalizing psychedelics has a positive impact on those who use them.
Benefits extended far beyond the therapeutic and mental health outcomes. Nearly 75 percent of respondents reported decriminalization-related improvements regarding psychedelic therapy, citing better social acceptance, availability and diversity of services.
Most public health headlines are focused on the dangers of psychedelics. But these findings demonstrate how decriminalization could benefit a community, said Larry Norris. He is a coauthor of the study, and the Co-Founder of Decriminalize nature.
“Some clinical practitioners and legalization lobbyists write off decriminalization as the ‘wild west,’ or ‘not viable’ as if it’s a competition,” Norris added. This attitude tries to undermine community-based healing by forcing a gatekeeper mentality that is prohibitively expensive.
He said that despite their efforts to confuse the issue, decriminalization was not a rival for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
Decriminalization seems to have an impact on everyday life that goes beyond access to substances. After the implementation of policies to decriminalize substances, 72.4% of participants reported an improvement in their overall life conditions. About half of respondents reported improvement in stress, anxiety and worry, as well as a stronger connection to the community.
More than one third of respondents reported improved depressive symptoms as well as improvements in family and interpersonal relationships. Around a quarter reported improved physical health and work conditions. One in five also reported improvements related with addiction and financial situation.
Only 2,5 % of participants reported declines across all categories of life. Over 27 percent of participants said they stopped using or reduced the use of traditional pharmaceuticals due to decriminalization.
The researchers found that social acceptance was one of the most consistent and pronounced areas of change. It played a critical role in overall wellbeing and health.
The rapid growth in psychedelic usage in naturalistic environments underscores that there is a parallel path of experimentation and production of knowledge operating independent of formal clinical studies, the authors of the study observed. They highlighted the ways that grassroots and legacy communities continue to foster psychedelics use outside of regulated health frameworks.
The survey revealed that individuals have changed their methods of obtaining psychedelics. The most common way to source psychedelics was through friends, at 54 percent. However, there were significant increases reported by participants in buying from retail dispensaries on-site, growing or harvesting their own substances, purchasing online, or working with underground healthcare professionals or therapists.
However, the authors warned that most psychedelic stores currently in operation are not permitted under current decriminalization laws, which do not allow commercial sales. These unregulated market places people at risk. Roughly one-fifth of participants reported being scammed when attempting to purchase psychedelic substances, though the majority of these incidents—53.5 percent—occurred prior to decriminalization.
Participants expressed in their qualitative responses a relief of legal anxiety that they felt after decriminalization. Many participants described feeling more secure, protected, and less concerned about arrests or employment implications. This reduced fear translated into less stress and an increased willingness to use psychedelics as a healing tool.
Some feedback is not entirely positive.
A smaller group expressed ambivalent views or concerns regarding the possible over-legislation, and corporateization of psychedelics. They expressed concerns that corporate or pharmaceutical interests may dominate the field and marginalize sacred community-based practices, legacy healers, and sacred practices. Many participants called on policymakers to address equity concerns by focusing on the voices of Indigenous peoples, people of colour and those who were most affected by the “War on Drugs.”
In response to a question about policy suggestions, the vast majority of respondents supported legalization and decriminalization. They also advocated adult-use availability and retail access. The respondents also stressed the importance of better quality control, third party drug testing, clear labeling and expanded access for guided psychedelic assisted therapy.
Researchers acknowledged that their study had several limitations.
The data was based on the self-reported opinions of participants and used a convenience sampling that included a large number of people already associated with psychedelic groups. The participants were overwhelmingly white (78.5%), highly educated and experienced drug users.
Researchers noted that because the survey was cross-sectional, they could not attribute causality to their findings. Instead, they recommended longitudinal studies, which would assess how perceptions, and ultimately outcomes, change as policies mature.
“It was very difficult to find usable information about post-decriminalization areas,” said Barron—who is the founder of the Michigan Psychedelic Society. “Some information is available through Poison Control…but we were looking for something else.”
Barron added, “We found it difficult to track emergency room data and 911 service calls because these incidents were not labeled as specifically psychedelic related.” These incidents are usually categorized as being drug-related, or involving dangerous substances.
Barron concluded: “Until better systems are in place to specifically track plant medicines and psychoactives, we need to ask users of psychedelics about their experience and have them describe what they were feeling.”
The authors, despite these limitations concluded that the findings presented a compelling argument for rethinking drugs laws.
Researchers wrote: “Overall the data suggests decriminalization has been perceived as associated with reduced risk of legal prosecution, increased safety and therapeutic accessibility, and improved psychosocial wellbeing. There were minimal reports of worsening or widespread use. It appears to have served more as harm-reduction strategy and a community-health approach than as permissive drug policies.”
The study concludes that removing the threat of criminal punishment for personal possession or use is an important step towards a healthier community.
The study concluded, “Decriminalizing psychoedelics is a rational, evidenced-based recalibration of drug policy, putting health, equity and safety first.”
Ismail Ali is a leader of legacy psychedelic organizations, and he has been Co-Executive Direct of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies since 2005. He sees combating stigmatization as a key priority for a drug policy reform that involves multiple generations.
In a statement provided exclusively to Psychedelic State(s) of America, Ali commented that, “the findings of this study reinforce how legal exposure shapes the entire environment around psychedelic use, separate from anything about the substances themselves… [and] Shows how the removal of criminal penalties is crucial to reduce social stigma and encourage community education. It also helps mitigate personal risks.”
“However” Ali further noted, “this study also reveals the limitations of decriminalization as a policy solution—and make the case for it to be one of multiple approaches that complement one another.”
Ali explained that “a comprehensive approach to public health includes elements that are beyond the scope of decriminalization; a safer supply chain, specialized training, and scalable treatment infrastructure require affirmative legal protection, as well as investment.”
“All in All,” he concluded “the findings of the study are consistent” with what his movement has been arguing for years. “Reducing the criminal-legal expositoin of psychedelics use changes people’s life before a policy touches quality control or insurance, or institutions.”
This article was created by Psychedelic State(s) of America—A nonprofit news organization dedicated exclusively to independent, psychedelic journalism. Subscribe to PSA online PSA: Follow us on Twitter Instagram, You can find us on LinkedIn., Twitter/X Facebook. Find out more about PSA, and make a donation to the PSA Media Fund Here
Images courtesy of Carlosemmaskype & Apollo.
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