Thread by @mariliacout

1 / Although my stand is a bit more radical (in the sense that I try to “go to the roots”) and I defend the legalization of all drugs and the end of drug control, the criminalization of psychedelics is the one “control” that has *zero* scientific support.
legalizepsychedelics.com

2 / Denver and Oakland seem to be leading the trend and decriminalized psychedelics. Denver decriminalized psilocybin mushrooms. Oakland’s bill is broader, including psychedelic plants.
forbes.com/sites/lisettev…

3 / The media has been highlighting the therapeutic benefits of controlled use of psychedelics.
vice.com/en_us/article/…
esquire.com/lifestyle/heal…

4 / Michael Pollan argues that in spite of being non-addictive and safe, “there are risks” (and obviously suggests strict regulation). I disagree with him.
nytimes.com/2019/05/10/opi…

5 / Pollan is a good writer and journalist. I’m a writer but I’m also a biochemist (my MS thesis was on chemical ecology and I did memorize over 400 organic chemistry reactions that produce these “cool molecules”) and a sociologist. With my tools in hand, let’s dissect the issue.

6 / Classic psychedelics are currently seen as tools for the understanding of brain function, as therapeutic tools and as a legitimate means for people to engage in mystical experiences (2019 publication).
jhu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publication…

7 / Psychedelics are not only not addictive, but they are great tools for the individual to control and overcome their addiction. Here’s a recent paper, but let’s face it: acid is way cooler than booze.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.117…

8 / The fear that psychedelics use may cause mental illness is unsupported by evidence. How about the not-anecdotal evidence concerning child abuse, rape and trauma as triggers for mental illness, suffering and suicide? Yeah, there’s that.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.117…

9/ The truth is that keeping psychedelics illegal and controlled is a reflex of moralistic and religious thinking on public institutions. Can we totally get rid of that? No, because the people voting laws are real, material people with a history. Usually not a great one.

10 / The majority of any society is conservative and they don’t like the idea of other people exercising freedom. They suck but they rule. Progress is made by millimetrically pushing the boundaries that they so zealously defend against it.

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