Psychedelics psychedelics are not bad...it is the way politics and propaganda portrays psychedelics use as bad.

[M!$TER-ED]

If you take or do anything to an extreme it could be detrimental to your health. Adopting the notion that drugs are bad is pure propaganda designed to end society dissidence and unrest during 1960s-1970s. The anti drug campaign effectively convinced a large part of society psychedelic compounds and substances caused mental illness, irreparable brain damage and death to anyone unfortunate enough to take these harmful substances for personal consumption. Meanwhile psychedelics were being studied by government and scientists alike searching for cures of mental health conditions at the same time government were more interested in using psychedelics to control peoples minds as weapons against humanity.

The government is not our friend. The reason psychedelics are still illegal in most parts of the United States is not because our government is concerned for our health, it is largely due to ignorance and a lack of desire to admit being wrong. What kind of message would that send to the American public that the government made a mistake in prosecuting thousands of drug using citizens with high fines and long prison sentences.? Imagine the repercussion...there would be a revolution.

I do not expect the federal government to change or legalize psychedelics from class 1 felony, however, in some states possession and use of psychedelics are no longer a criminal offense. I can only hope that New York will pass legislation in the Senate for adult consumption. The problem with limiting psychedelics for health purposes, it restricts the number of consumers who may not qualify for psychedelic therapy or treatment based on other health concerns such as a heart condition or predisposed psychosis. This in my opinion is BS, although some psychedelics increase heart rates, they do not cause long-term psychosis associated with schizophrenia, even if you are diagnosed with schizophrenia, early studies show improvement in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, cognition and socially. More research is needed, however, I support the use psychedelics for health and personal consumption.

 

[NullVoidXIII]

I agree.
I don't wanna be tripping all the time.
It puts me in a very fragile mental state and on top of that it challenges my cognitive functionality and my developmental skills.

But I do want to be able to trip to help against my depression.
I do want to be able to schedule a time and place for that where I am uninterrupted for that.

I think we're still a long way off from legalizing most psychedelics. As far as I know, currently, psilocybin stands the best chance at being legalized.

 

[M!$TER-ED]

Because of prohibition / war on drugs advancement in society was limited in ways that will not be clear until the government review and reassess the control substance act of 1970. Only after psychedelics are approved for legal consumption will we reap the benefits of alternative health treatment.

 

[Leprechaun]

It can summarised very easily.

“A knife is not bad, it’s just the way that it’s used which matters”.

Intent is everything.

A good historical example of persecution for lifestyle and cultural choices, far worse than anything in the 60s was the attempt by Roman Catholics to destroy the native Indian sub cultures, particularly those who used psychedelics.

Some of those ancient beliefs and cultures still exist today.

 

[Deleted member 554582]

For me they are the only class substances that could bring some positive changes eventually...not useful(loosing it's effects quickly) after daily use.usually groups using them get together once a week...non addictive.way to get stronger social bonds in the frame of tribal consciousness let's say it this way.got some health benefits-depressions,some mental disorders like PTSD,addictions and so on.sure they care their own risk ofcourse and must use carefully and with respect.....they are for everyone.....and not for everyone at the same time

 

[SotPoker1012]

It's always better to create an educated, mature population that can make responsible choices about substances than to create harsh legal penalties. With psychedelics in particular, the main risks are triggering underlying mental problems or if one has cardiovascular problems like a bad heart or hypertension, as serotonergics in general cause varying levels of vasoconstriction and increase heart rate.

Someone mentioned traditional religious use of psychedelics. That's a great example of how creating a culture of pro-social and responsible substance use can be positive and limit potential negative consequences. It isn't limited to psychedelics, either.

 

[M!$TER-ED]

I advocate wherever possible to educate people about psychedelic substances and the governments role in prohibiting them from public use. Most people just don't seem to care about psychedelics for health or recreational use, either that or they are afraid that the lies may be true causing undo damage to the brain so they go living in fear of themselves. How do you change years of conditioning based on fear of loss freedom through incarceration and high fines? Perhaps more disturbing is being labeled by society as a drug user, which carries the stigma of destitution, weakness, criminal, detrimental to society etc..

It's not the labels I fear, it is the fear of criminal injustice that makes me think twice about breaking the law and perhaps losing everything I hold dear just to prove the government was wrong. Nope, not me, I will advocate to change federal laws but not as a legal poster child in a court setting.
We know the government was wrong, unfortunately the only way to right this wrong is to play by their rules on their home court. The truth will come out eventually because the benefits of using psychedelics for health outweigh the consequences of being caught in a lie.

Part of the problem that stemmed from psychedelic use in the 60s & 70s was radical thinking and government fear of losing control. The government knew they could not ban psychedelics because of natural presence, however, a massive campaign was designed to strike fear in us citizens based on the health and welfare of society. With this in place the government enforced health and welfare with heavy fines and prison sentences for possession and use of psychedelic substances.

Despite the benefits of psychedelics there remains a risk that psychedelic use may produce symptoms of radical thinking not unlike that recorded in the 60s & n70s. Radical thinking is defined as a deep, transformative way of thinking that challenges conventional beliefs and assumptions, often seeking to understand the root causes of problems. It encourages questioning established norms and exploring new perspectives to inspire meaningful change. Do you think the government will stand for a significant shift in perception, allowing individuals to see beyond the familiar and explore new possibilities?

 

[M!$TER-ED]

It's always better to create an educated, mature population that can make responsible choices about substances than to create harsh legal penalties. With psychedelics in particular, the main risks are triggering underlying mental problems or if one has cardiovascular problems like a bad heart or hypertension, as serotonergics in general cause varying levels of vasoconstriction and increase heart rate.

Someone mentioned traditional religious use of psychedelics. That's a great example of how creating a culture of pro-social and responsible substance use can be positive and limit potential negative consequences. It isn't limited to psychedelics, either.

True but not everyone seeks or believes in spirituality, based on prior experience. However, to those who may be inclined to believe, spirituality and religion may be an option for use.

 

[SotPoker1012]

True but not everyone seeks or believes in spirituality, based on prior experience. However, to those who may be inclined to believe, spirituality and religion may be an option for use.

I don't think it has to be spiritual or theistic in orientation to accomplish the same effect, but just something community oriented and pro social. Religion is just the primary method of community organization throughout history.
You could theoretically have secular psychedelic rituals that are done in the community to bring people together, incite deep philosophical discussions and debates, open up to each other and essentially practice therapy.

 

[M!$TER-ED]

I don't think it has to be spiritual or theistic in orientation to accomplish the same effect, but just something community oriented and pro social. Religion is just the primary method of community organization throughout history.
You could theoretically have secular psychedelic rituals that are done in the community to bring people together, incite deep philosophical discussions and debates, open up to each other and essentially practice therapy.

Right I agree

 

[SotPoker1012]

Despite the benefits of psychedelics there remains a risk that psychedelic use may produce symptoms of radical thinking not unlike that recorded in the 60s & n70s. Radical thinking is defined as a deep, transformative way of thinking that challenges conventional beliefs and assumptions, often seeking to understand the root causes of problems. It encourages questioning established norms and exploring new perspectives to inspire meaningful change. Do you think the government will stand for a significant shift in perception, allowing individuals to see beyond the familiar and explore new possibilities?

I wanted to respond to this yesterday but didn't get a chance. A righteous government has nothing to fear from a free thinking population, and should even encourage it where possible. Obviously not all ways of thinking are created equal, for every genuinely great insight someone gets, there's likely someone with a less than great idea, so nothing should be taken into account uncritically, but in general its a positive thing for people to question things and expand their horizons, with or without the help of psychs.

Sadly we do not live under a righteous government and I'm not sure one exists anywhere at the moment.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

I agree.

But I've noticed division among drug users. I've noticed a trend of proponents for legalized psychedelics will shit on other drugs users as a reason why their drugs should be legal.
Which in one way is a good tactic if you're trying to get them legalized (I often do this by comparing the dangers of heroin & alcohol, with alcohol being way more destructive, yet legal).


It could be the foot in the door we need to get all drugs legalized eventually or it could just end up doing the opposite & stigmatizing other drugs even further.


I also see a lot of people & places falsely pushing this idea that "psychedelics can cure your depression/addiction/trauma/etc.."... And maybe that might be true for some select individuals.
But no amount of shroom trips, acid trips or even dissociative trips has ever "cured" any of my issues. If you have a depression disorder, it's unlikely you'll ever be "cured" and will just have to live with it like I do.
Now psychedelics can come in handy once in awhile when I need a change of perspective. And whatever antidepressant relief they do give me is usually followed by a period of worse depression once my brain goes back to "normal".

Only class of drugs that I've found to effectively treat my depression, with the best effects & least bothersome side-effects; is opioids.
Specifically heroin & to another extent, tramadol. They rapidly improved my depression within a day & continued to help it day after day, even with tolerance increase.
But rarely have I seen anyone or anything advocating for treatment resistant depressed patients to be allowed to use opioids/heroin daily to keep them alive & semi-functional.

I think the government would rather legalize euthanasia for people with depression long before they'll legalize drugs, so that people with depression can get better treatment.

We're not free until we're all free though, so people should be careful not to throw others under the bus in favor of their drug of choice being legalized. Although I'm a bit of a hypocrite in that regard because I absolutely hate alcohol & meth. But subjectively speaking, alcohol & meth are much worse for your overall health than opioids, psychedelics or most other drugs.

 

[M!$TER-ED]

I agree.

But I've noticed division among drug users. I've noticed a trend of proponents for legalized psychedelics will shit on other drugs users as a reason why their drugs should be legal.
Which in one way is a good tactic if you're trying to get them legalized (I often do this by comparing the dangers of heroin & alcohol, with alcohol being way more destructive, yet legal).


It could be the foot in the door we need to get all drugs legalized eventually or it could just end up doing the opposite & stigmatizing other drugs even further.


I also see a lot of people & places falsely pushing this idea that "psychedelics can cure your depression/addiction/trauma/etc.."... And maybe that might be true for some select individuals.
But no amount of shroom trips, acid trips or even dissociative trips has ever "cured" any of my issues. If you have a depression disorder, it's unlikely you'll ever be "cured" and will just have to live with it like I do.
Now psychedelics can come in handy once in awhile when I need a change of perspective. And whatever antidepressant relief they do give me is usually followed by a period of worse depression once my brain goes back to "normal".

Only class of drugs that I've found to effectively treat my depression, with the best effects & least bothersome side-effects; is opioids.
Specifically heroin & to another extent, tramadol. They rapidly improved my depression within a day & continued to help it day after day, even with tolerance increase.
But rarely have I seen anyone or anything advocating for treatment resistant depressed patients to be allowed to use opioids/heroin daily to keep them alive & semi-functional.

I think the government would rather legalize euthanasia for people with depression long before they'll legalize drugs, so that people with depression can get better treatment.

We're not free until we're all free though, so people should be careful not to throw others under the bus in favor of their drug of choice being legalized. Although I'm a bit of a hypocrite in that regard because I absolutely hate alcohol & meth. But subjectively speaking, alcohol & meth are much worse for your overall health than opioids, psychedelics or most other drugs.

I appreciate your thoughts, I have not advocated for opioids to the extent I have with psychedelics primarily because of ignorance and fear. I've always been afraid of addiction with opioids although unfounded, it has been my choice to avoid them. I assumed being tied down to a high would be too demanding so I didn't pursue opioids as a means to get high. However, that does not change the fact that all drugs should be legalized with proper education on how to use them.

The stigma associated with drug use is the fault of the government in an effort to shun users out of society, labeling drug users as criminals based on laws to prevent drug use. Drugs are not bad in the criminal sense of the word although some drugs can cause death and impairment drugs are not the culprit. It is the individual that is accountable, not drugs. Holding people responsible for their actions instead of prohibiting drug use altogether may change the way society view drugs by putting responsibility on the user rather than eliminating drug use altogether.