The legalization of marijuana in the United States is the biggest policy change to illegal drugs since the end of Prohibition, but few have had legitimate success. Indeed, the drug is widely available commercially, many marijuana-related charges have been dropped, and stoner culture has become more aligned with designer smoking devices. Features I prefer Goop to the awkward spaciousness of Cheech and Chong. However, a significant portion of the market remains underground, medical research is lacking, and the above-ground market is not always thriving. Longtime cannabis activists are frustrated. Entrepreneurs are unhappy. Not just those who buy marijuana, but also those who think marijuana should never have been legal in the first place.
The country is now preparing to change the legal status of psychedelic drugs, a new class of psychoactive drugs. Some enthusiasts worry that loosening regulations without a thorough understanding of these drugs could put patients at some risk, but these drugs are not used to treat mental health issues. It has shown early promise in the field. Oregon currently has a licensed center that can administer psilocybin, and MDMA is moving toward FDA approval. In some ways, the fate of legalized cannabis can be read as a cautionary tale about how these drugs, too, may be left with almost no one to like them. But as psychedelics become mainstream through decriminalization, state legalization, and even FDA approval, they will likely be dispensed and sold differently than marijuana. This process is unlikely to satisfy everyone, but if advocates, manufacturers, and lawmakers can prevent psychedelics from falling into the same trap as marijuana, it could create an industry that helps at least some Americans. There is sex.
Despite its wide availability, cannabis remains illegal under federal law. Since 1970, it has been listed as a Schedule I drug, meaning the government believes it has a high potential for abuse and has no medical value. Starting in the 1970s, states began passing laws that reduced penalties for marijuana possession and allowed medical and, eventually, recreational use. In 2013, U.S. Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole released a memo declaring that the Department of Justice would not strictly enforce federal law in states that have legalized marijuana.
Americans were eager to buy marijuana as states embarked on legalization programs, but cannabis hasn’t proven to be a viable legal business in most states. Because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, many entrepreneurs don’t benefit from many of the tax breaks that other companies have, meaning the industry is effectively paying the taxes. billions of According to the additional tax will be charged analysis By Cannabis Research Company. Large companies dominate the industry in most states, while small business owners struggle to pay high licensing fees.One of the promises of legalization was the potential benefits to Black and Latino communities disproportionately affected by the war on drugs, but now 2017, members of these communities make up a single-digit percentage of state-licensed cannabis entrepreneurs. Legal cannabis can be more expensive than traditional dealer prices, so many people stick with the unregulated, underground version. In states like New York, the gap between legality and enforcement has led to illegal stores popping up among legal stores.
That’s all where recreational use is legal. In the 14 states where only medical use is allowed, pharmacies must do a different calculation. Pharmacies serve patients in need, but treat other pharmacies only as loopholes to obtain medicines, and are likely to go elsewhere once recreational access becomes available . In the 12 states where even medical marijuana is illegal, the only legally available cannabis products are a few FDA-approved medications, all of which have been used to treat vomiting in chemotherapy patients, AIDS-related anorexia, and certain types of seizures. There are few active clinical trials to study cannabis, meaning there is currently no clear path for the drug to receive federal approval for other indications. To do.
Psychedelics are far behind in terms of becoming more widely available, but on the surface they appear poised to imitate marijuana. Drugs are causing a major change in public sentiment. Aaron Rodgers has a travel story, and so does Michael Bublé. Half of state governments have introduced psychedelic-related bills, including one that would create a task force to dig deeper into the science of psychedelics and one that would create a full-fledged psilocybin industry.Assuming reform is moving at a similar speed to cannabis, the researchers say Estimation It is estimated that 25 states could legalize psychedelics within the next 10 years. Voters in Oregon and Colorado have already passed ballot initiatives paving the way for a psilocybin industry in the states.
But instead of following marijuana’s reform path of first decriminalization, then medical legitimacy, and then recreational use, psychedelics are heading down all of those paths at once. State-regulated psilocybin centers are becoming more like combination psychotherapy rooms, clinics, and spas than cannabis dispensaries. The rules for the psilocybin industry are much more restrictive than those for cannabis to date, but that means many people need more careful support to unlock the potential benefits of these drugs, which could lead to a bad trip. This is because we recognize that the risks are high. While Oregonians 21 and older can stop by a pharmacy, flash their ID, and take home their own buds (or gummies, soda, or cookies), adults seeking psilocybin can take a comprehensive mental and physical You must undergo a health screening and then take that dose based on the following conditions: Supervision of trained and licensed facilitators. Meanwhile, researchers and startups are promoting psychedelics in medical settings. MDMA may be approved for the first time as a PTSD treatment as early as August.
This atmosphere of legitimacy, the idea that psychedelics could be more effective. Severe Opiates like MDMA and psilocybin offer certain advantages over cannabis. Psychedelic research is booming in a different way than marijuana research. Few scientists have overcome the hurdles of cannabis research.For example, by most accounts, government-grown weeds that researchers must use are weak efficacy Better than those sold in pharmacies and known to reach labs mold is already growing. And with a thriving black market, pharmaceutical companies don’t seem interested in sponsoring clinical trials for cannabis. But when it comes to psychedelics, which are far less illegally traded, startups and nonprofits are leaning toward clinical trials. Sue Sisley, a physician and marijuana researcher who has previously developed clinical trials for marijuana, said the psychedelic drug moved toward legalization so quickly largely because it followed traditional drug development strategies of big drug companies. Talk about the body.
In some ways, the FDA’s positive approach is a gamble for those hoping to create a psychedelic industry. First, Anishinabe cannabis and psychedelics lawyer Ariel Clark says this route would allow those who could most benefit from the protections that come with legalization (including indigenous communities where it is already legal) to They are concerned that they may be placed out of reach. Using psychedelics in traditional ceremonies. Currently, his single session of psilocybin at a service center in Oregon costs thousands of dollars. Companies that receive FDA approval could further increase the prices of approved psychedelic drugs and therapeutic drugs. (It’s already happening Ketamine(.) Additionally, with FDA approval of its own psychedelics, growers could still end up paying the same high taxes that put small cannabis business owners out of business. Hadas Alterman, a partner at the Plant Medicine Law Group and a member of the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Committee’s equity subcommittee, says “farmer profit margins are already very low” and taxes won’t help. .
But some proponents argue that even in scenarios where small entrepreneurs are at a disadvantage, medicalization has a net benefit. Medicalization may not lead the United States to a psychedelic utopia, but compared to underground use, it increases access to psychedelics, improves patient safety, and (albeit unfairly) There is a good chance of building a functional industry. Psychedelic manufacturers and people who can afford expensive treatments may be perfectly satisfied with the results.
Psychedelics are still uncharted territory in the United States, even as start-ups invest millions of dollars in hopes of getting them approved as drugs and state-run programs are developing their own psychedelic industry. Research on this has not progressed yet. It is in its early stages, and the exact path to legalization remains unclear. But at least lawmakers have a good model of what not to do. “The people sitting in government knew what happened with cannabis,” Clark told me. All I can think is that I don’t want to repeat this experience.
