Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has issued an executive order instructing the city’s police officers to adopt a lenient approach towards the purchase and use of certain illegal psychedelic drugs, including psychoactive mushrooms. The move comes as a growing number of cities across the United States, such as Denver, Detroit, and Washington, D.C., have adopted more permissive stances on psychedelics due to their potential therapeutic benefits for mental health. While some health professionals are concerned about the rise of an unregulated field of therapeutic interventions involving mind-altering substances, others argue that psychedelics have transformative and healing properties.
In recent years, psychedelics have gained wider acceptance and support in clinical and spiritual settings. Psychiatrists have recognized their potential to revolutionize the treatment of certain mental health conditions. According to a survey commissioned by the National Institutes of Health, the percentage of Americans between the ages of 19 and 30 who reported using psychedelics in the past year has risen from 3% in 2011 to 8% in 2021. The changing public opinion and increased use of psychedelics have led to legislative and regulatory efforts to decriminalize and expand access to these substances.
States like Oregon and Colorado have already legalized psychedelic therapies. In Minnesota, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers has created a task force to propose the legalization of medicinal psychedelics. However, the growing popularity of psychedelics has also created an unregulated marketplace of therapies and rituals, raising concerns among medical professionals and federal health officials. They worry that the benefits of psychedelics are being overemphasized, while the risks are being downplayed.
Despite the potential risks, many users of psychedelics argue against confining their use to clinical settings. They believe that these mind-altering substances have long been used as spiritual sacraments, particularly by Indigenous peoples. Politicians from both sides of the aisle, including Senator Rand Paul and Senator Cory Booker, have supported initiatives to expand access to medicinal psychedelics, highlighting their appeal among veterans with mental health challenges.
Mayor Frey’s executive order does not legalize psychedelics but instead designates them as the lowest enforcement priority for the police. However, the order emphasizes that individuals can still be charged for distributing psychedelics in schools or driving under their influence. The order specifically focuses on naturally occurring psychedelics, such as magic mushrooms, ayahuasca, mescaline, and iboga, while excluding synthetic drugs like LSD and MDMA commonly used recreationally.
The state of Minnesota aims to address the issue of psychedelics through the formation of a task force comprising clinicians, health policy experts, veterans, Indigenous people, and individuals with severe mental illness who have not found relief through existing treatments. The task force will work towards presenting a detailed proposal for the legalization of medicinal psychedelics. The goal is to promote a national rethinking of drug laws and recognize the potential benefits of plant-based psychedelics for individuals struggling with depression, trauma, and addiction.