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Date: 4/13/2021
NORTHAMPTON – After the Northampton City Council passed a resolution in favor of decriminalizing psychedelic plants at its April 1 meeting, Baystaters for Natural Medicine (BNM) discussed the potential positives of the resolution.
James Davis, a volunteer and organizer with BNM, said that the organization is a grassroots group focused on “making sure psychedelic plants are equitably accessible” and ending the war on drugs.
Davis said BNM wrote the resolution to decriminalize psychedelic plants in the city.
“In Northampton we wrote the resolution; it was very similar to the resolutions that our coalition passed in Somerville and Cambridge. In terms of getting the support out, we are indebted to Councilors Rachel Maiore and Bill Dwight for their sponsorship, we rallied volunteers in the area to call the council and testify in support,” he said.
In order to organize these resolutions in favor of decriminalizing controlled substances, Davis explained that many volunteers share their own stories
“Our first principle of organizing is people first; we believe that people’s stories are their best tools for advocacy. So, we encourage our participants and volunteers to email their stories of how psychedelic plants and how the war on drugs has victimized them to their city councils,” he said. “We believe that telling and sharing those stories is the main way that we have accomplished what we have to date.”
Davis said one of the benefits of using psychedelic plants such as psilocybin mushrooms is that they are more effective at treating depression than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
“Psilocybin mushrooms are four times more effective at treating major depression than SSRIs. A study by Johns Hopkins last November demonstrated that as well as a meta-analysis that went back two decades looking at the studies that have been done on psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD),” he said.
With the opioid crisis still ongoing in Massachusetts, Davis said ibogaine, one type of psychedelic plant, is proven to help with opioid abuse and withdrawal symptoms.
“About 170 friends, neighbors, and family members are dying every month here in the commonwealth because of opioid overdoses. Ibogaine is proven to reduce withdrawal symptoms and lead to sustained, reduced use for people who are abusing heroin and that is from a 2018 study from the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse,” he said.
One of the reasons why Davis said BNM is involved in decriminalizing controlled substances is because when people dealing with substance abuse issues tend to go to an even darker place when arrested.
“If someone is down on their luck abusing heroin or methamphetamines and police find them with possession they are not going to be incarcerated. We believe that those arrests only bring people to a lower place, cause them to lose their jobs and support networks, which fundamentally does not help them overcome drug abuse,” he said.
Davis added that psychedelic plants are a form of treatment that should be embraced for their benefits.
“The vast majority of people that will use psilocybin in a controlled setting are going to have a very good experience that will help them process and appreciate themselves. These plants offer an excellent alternative to people that we should embrace and not fear monger about,” he said.
While the resolution was approved, it is only a measure to show that the City Council is in favor of decriminalizing psychedelic plants, but no legislation has been passed to make these controlled substances legal.