6 ms·

Fantastic news for the US and the scientific research of psychedelics as a treatment for depression and anxiety. Meanwhile, on the other side of the atlantic, i

Fantastic news for the US and the scientific research of psychedelics as a treatment for depression and anxiety. Meanwhile, on the other side of the atlantic, it's a nightmare to get our politicians to even begin talking about cannabis (Sweden).

torpid 4y ago
Decriminalization is different than legalization. It likely will not help any US or scientific research.
- justizin 4y ago
  The FDA is in the process of certifying psilocybin for therapeutic purposes, research should begin within a year or two, but decriminalization in oakland has already led to high quality, precision-dosed, retail-available gelcaps and such. I'm hoping those products hop the bay and show up in SF head shops, soon.
  - galangalalgol 4y ago
    What conditions are they considering it for?
  - omwow 4y ago
    Amen to that. Also, hope that this will pave the way for wider therapeutic use not just in SF, but across the US and other countries.
- kirsebaer 4y ago
  Reducing stigma helps research. It becomes easier to get institutional support, recruit study participants, collaborate with colleagues, obtain funding, etc.
nzealand 4y ago
It's still illegal at a federal and state level.
- jjcon 4y ago
  Just to clarify, Psychedelics yes. Marijuana though is legal at the state level in some form for about 75% of the USA
  - eyelidlessness 4y ago
    To clarify further: cannabis legalization and decriminalization varies a lot by jurisdiction, but has rapidly accelerated in recent years. Even “legalized” and “decriminalized” varies significantly. Some states and jurisdictions permit commercial sales and others permit only cultivation, possession and gift exchange. Washington is fairly odd in that it allows commercial sale but doesn’t allow cultivation without a (medical or industrial) license. North Carolina is odd in that it’s decriminalized but has no medical. It’s effectively a grey market in all states with commercial, because you can’t legally use any form of electronic payment (despite many industry efforts to circumvent the restriction). This all routes back to the Cole memo issued by the Obama DOJ, which (correctly IMO) identified federal jurisdiction as limited to interstate commerce, and effectively issued guidance to states that the federal government won’t intervene if it determines that local governments are making a good faith effort to prevent product or sales from crossing state lines. Full legalization is almost definitely inevitable, but these sorts of patchwork laws will persist until federal law changes. Increasingly it seems likely that several holdout states will remain so until that time and may remain so even after the fact.
mildmotive 4y ago
Sweden needs healthy, sober and clearminded men and women.

torpid 4y ago

Decriminalization is different than legalization. It likely will not help any US or scientific research.

justizin 4y ago
The FDA is in the process of certifying psilocybin for therapeutic purposes, research should begin within a year or two, but decriminalization in oakland has already led to high quality, precision-dosed, retail-available gelcaps and such. I'm hoping those products hop the bay and show up in SF head shops, soon.
- galangalalgol 4y ago
  What conditions are they considering it for?
- omwow 4y ago
  Amen to that. Also, hope that this will pave the way for wider therapeutic use not just in SF, but across the US and other countries.
kirsebaer 4y ago
Reducing stigma helps research. It becomes easier to get institutional support, recruit study participants, collaborate with colleagues, obtain funding, etc.

nzealand 4y ago

It's still illegal at a federal and state level.

jjcon 4y ago
Just to clarify, Psychedelics yes. Marijuana though is legal at the state level in some form for about 75% of the USA
- eyelidlessness 4y ago
  To clarify further: cannabis legalization and decriminalization varies a lot by jurisdiction, but has rapidly accelerated in recent years. Even “legalized” and “decriminalized” varies significantly. Some states and jurisdictions permit commercial sales and others permit only cultivation, possession and gift exchange. Washington is fairly odd in that it allows commercial sale but doesn’t allow cultivation without a (medical or industrial) license. North Carolina is odd in that it’s decriminalized but has no medical. It’s effectively a grey market in all states with commercial, because you can’t legally use any form of electronic payment (despite many industry efforts to circumvent the restriction). This all routes back to the Cole memo issued by the Obama DOJ, which (correctly IMO) identified federal jurisdiction as limited to interstate commerce, and effectively issued guidance to states that the federal government won’t intervene if it determines that local governments are making a good faith effort to prevent product or sales from crossing state lines. Full legalization is almost definitely inevitable, but these sorts of patchwork laws will persist until federal law changes. Increasingly it seems likely that several holdout states will remain so until that time and may remain so even after the fact.

mildmotive 4y ago

Sweden needs healthy, sober and clearminded men and women.