Bay Staters grappling with serious mental health issues could gain access to a new treatment option if a controversial ballot question wins approval next month, though opponents of decriminalizing psychedelic substances say the referendum fails to incorporate sufficient guardrails to make the therapy safe and affordable.
Gathered in front of the State House Tuesday, referendum supporters Sen. Adam Gomez and Reps. Samantha Montaño and Lindsay Sabadosa joined municipal leaders to tout the alleged health benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy, which they said can fill a void after patients fail to find relief through conventional medications and treatments.
Question 4 would legalize certain types and small quantities of psychedelic substances, including psilocybin and psilocin found in mushrooms, and dimethyltryptamine, mescaline and ibogaine found in plants…