Marin Voice: California should not decriminalize psychedelics without safety measures in place

Recreational psychedelic use is on the rise, and it is having deadly consequences here.

I personally know of three young Marin County residents, including one in my family, who have lost their lives after consuming psychedelics. I suspect there are more.

One 21-year-old entrepreneur, on the verge of graduating from college, took psilocybin mushrooms with two friends. He had a very adverse reaction, became psychotic, mistook protein powder for water and suffocated to death in front of first responders.

Another vibrant 16-year-old consumed mushrooms in his parents’ home, hoping he would “talk to God.” Instead, he “flew” off a deck and died in his father’s arms.

The third person bought so-called “magic” mushrooms in Oakland, where they have been decriminalized. They came in a brown paper bag with no instructions, no information about how much to take or with whom, no warnings about contraindications or interactions with other drugs. We get more information when we purchase aspirin. After taking a moderate dose alone, with no guidance, the person died from an adverse reaction.

Nonetheless, state Sen. Scott Wiener proposed to decriminalize psilocybin and four other psychedelic substances for personal use. In a recent Instagram post he claimed “decriminalizing them doesn’t create health or safety problems.” He is wrong.

Between 2016 and 2021, there was an 84% rise in hallucinogen-related emergency room visits in California. Hospitalizations increased 74%.

These statistics are not surprising. Like other medicines, psychedelics are complicated compounds, which need to be used with appropriate guidance and support.

They can produce profound emotional responses from euphoria to paranoia, erratic behavior, psychological trauma, terror and fight-or-flight panic. All can result in suicidal ideation and death.

Research shows they are inappropriate, even dangerous, for some. For that reason, people with seizure disorders and heart conditions, people who are pregnant, on antidepressants, have a family history of psychotic or other severe psychiatric disorders are all excluded from clinical trials designed to evaluate benefits and harms.

For everyone else, the medical community strongly recommends that psychedelics be consumed in the presence of a trained facilitator or “sitter” in a safe environment.

Our three families know the consequences of not following these guidelines firsthand. We have banded together as part of the California Coalition for Psychedelic Safety and Education group to oppose Wiener’s bill, unless amended.

We have joined forces with the leading medical and scientific experts in the field: psychiatrists at Stanford and University of California at San Francisco, clinicians and neurologists at UCSF who are heading the clinical trials for use of psilocybin and MDMA for treatment resistant depression and post-traumatic stress syndrome.

They agree with us that, while early research shows promise for these conditions, science should inform personal use, not the reverse. Psychedelics are powerful, mind-altering substances that need to be better understood before making them widely accessible without restriction or instruction.

We are not against decriminalization itself; we are pro safety. We propose that decriminalization be delayed until a group of experts determines proper guardrails: a regulatory framework for access and use, public education, training of first responders and data tracking to understand better who has adverse reactions and why.

This is what 20 other states that are considering psychedelic legislation are proposing.

This could be done relatively quickly. Oregon and Colorado are already formulating recommendations; Illinois and Connecticut have just issued reports. Why is California so hellbent on decriminalization without safety measures in place?

Wiener told our group that he knows of no published crime statistics for psychedelic possession or use. He claims, instead, that he wants to protect those who “fear” arrest. But what about consumer protections to inform the public about risks and contraindications?

What about the young adults who read the glorified articles about what these substances can do, without knowing the adverse consequences? Additionally, I am concerned about veterans, with their nuanced trauma, who should receive guidance from trained facilitators, not take these substances alone. And what about first responders, who are not yet trained to deal with psychedelic-induced psychosis? They all deserve protections too.

California prides itself on its thoughtful policy approach, on being guided by medical and scientific research. Let’s follow the recommendations of the experts: delay decriminalization of psychedelics until the appropriate guardrails are in place.

Beth Parker, of Inverness, is a member of the California Coalition for Psychedelic Safety and Education group.