BOSTON, Mass. - Question 4 offers voters the option to legalize psychedelic substances in the state. It wouldn’t be like marijuana legalization where there would be retail sales, but specifically allow its use in mental health treatments for those struggling with their current treatment.
What You Need To Know
- Question 4 offers voters the option to legalize psychedelic substances in the state under licensed supervision for mental health treatments
- Those in favor think access to these kinds of natual options could be the difference for someone struggling with severe mental health issues
- Those opposed are worried about the safety, access, and potential negative side effects of having access to a previously banned substance
Emily Oneschuk is a Navy veteran. She was struggling with depression and PTSD and felt like she was out of options when she heard about psychedelic treatments for veterans. She got on a plane and went to Jamacia for treatment and says it changed her life.
“It was like the first thing that really cracked through this armor that I had built up over my time on active duty,” said Oneschuk.
Oneschuck has become a part of the “YES on 4” campaign and advocates for more access to these type of treatments for those people who aren’t seeing results.
“I want people to know this. It's just a really powerful tool to have,” she said. “It's an important option that people should have. It's not a panacea. It's not an easy button, but it's important when you feel like you're out of other options to know that there's something you haven't tried yet.”
The “NO on Question 4” campaign is also made up of veterans. But for Army veteran James Cunningham, he feels like veterans are being used as a campaign ploy and not really considering their needs.
“Right now, I'm saying this veteran and the veterans here assembled, we don't support this. We don't want that false hope. We want real treatment,” said Cunningham.
Question 4 would allow people over the age of 21 to use and grow certain natural psychedelics at home and allow certain mental health care providers to use them as a part of their treatment.
“Veterans have already put up with so much to defend this country, to have them used in a very misleading campaign like this. It's just offensive,” said Cunningham. “I have many good friends that have suffered through this, I've suffered through post-traumatic stress myself. And as a resident of Massachusetts and a and a father, this question just boggles my mind.”
If approved, there would be a commission created to regulate the substances.
A yes vote would allow possession and use of certain psychedelic substances under licensed supervision.
A no vote would make no change in the current law.