Psychedelics on the Ballot 2024

Follow the latest from Massachusetts and Oregon, where voters are deciding on psychedelics-related measures. ∎

Psychedelics are on the ballot once again in the U.S. elections, with both Massachusetts and Oregon voters set to directly influence the future of state-level psychedelic policy reform.

Donors are increasingly leaning on this avenue of the so-called psychedelic renaissance following the misfortune of one of psychedelic philanthropy’s darlings, MAPS, which failed to see MDMA-assisted therapy gain FDA approval this year via its for-profit progeny, Lykos Therapeutics.

While this year’s main event is happening at the state level, for psychedelics advocates at least, the federal picture—i.e., whether Harris or Trump emerges victorious—might also have some impact on the future of the field.

Some psychedelics advocates have touted Trump’s tenure as a potential boon for psychedelics, pointing to Trump ally and potential health (or, wellness) czar RFK Jr.’s comments about psychedelics and his insistence that he would end what he describes as “FDA’s war on public health”, which he believes “includes its aggressive suppression of psychedelics”, among other things. The fact that a psychedelic crowd would be advocating for such a conservative administration only shows how much these substances’ political milieu has changed in recent years. Read more: Bipartisan Momentum or Radical Reform? Insiders Weigh In on the Future of Psychedelic Research and Regulation Under Trump or Harris.

On this webpage, we focus on Massachusetts and Oregon. Follow along as results come in…

Massachusetts Question 4: Legalisation and Regulation of Psychedelics

What is Question 4? The only standalone psychedelic policy reform initiative to go before voters at this election is Massachusetts’ Question 4, which would legalise the licensed provision of facilitated psychedelics sessions and decriminalise personal use and home cultivation of certain psychedelics.

Who supports and opposes it? The Question is forwarded by Massachusetts for Mental Health Options, a ballot committee backed by the national New Approach PAC. New Approach has scored numerous successes in the cannabis policy reform arena and its efforts in psychedelics have led to the creation of two state-level psychedelic programs via ballot initiatives, in Oregon and Colorado.

The Yes campaign has raised millions of dollars in its effort to convince voters to endorse the Question from donors including the non-profit MAPS, soap company Dr. Bronner’s, and other psychedelics advocates.

The official No campaign, meanwhile, has received just over $100,000, almost all of which came from Kevin Sabet’s anti-cannabis outfit, Smart Approaches to Marijuana. The No coalition also includes Bay Staters for Natural Medicine, a small psychedelic policy reform group that has been involved in countless scandals that have led it to ostracise itself from much of the local and broader psychedelics community.

The campaign has been fraught with minor controversies and dramas from both sides, with discourse becoming particularly thorny as the campaign draws to a close. (See, for example, Final Stretch for Question 4: Controversy, Advocacy, and Celebrity Voices Shape Psychedelic Vote, for example.)

Some worry that in-fighting and bickering might have confused the Yes campaign’s key talking points, or that the two-pronged nature of the Question itself (which would both decriminalise and establish a regulated system) is inherently confusing to voters.

What are the polls saying? More than anything, tensions have run high because the race is oh-so-close: Polls have consistently shown that, just like the presidential race, Question 4 is too close to call, so it will be a nail-biter for advocates and opponents alike.

Massachusetts Question 4 Results

This page will be updated as votes are counted.

No on 4
No 57%
Yes on 4
Yes 43%

92.3% of votes counted.

Oregon Psilocybin Services Opt-Outs

In 2020, Oregon voters endorsed Measure 109, which established the country’s first state-regulated psychedelics program and the formation of Oregon Psilocybin Services.

That Measure, however, included the ability for cities or counties to opt out of the program, and in the 2022 midterm elections many cities did just that (see our Oregon Psilocybin Services Act Local Jurisdiction Tracker.)

At this year’s elections, more than a dozen cities and one county are looking to opt out of the program via local ballot initiatives.

On this page, we will report their outcomes.

Oregon Psilocybin Services Opt-Out Results

Measure County Title Result
3-611 Clackamas Prohibits Psilocybin-Related Businesses Within Oregon City Passed
3-617 Clackamas Prohibition of Psilocybin-related businesses within the City of Estacada Passed
3-619 Clackamas Prohibits psilocybin businesses within the City of Lake Oswego. Passed
3-621 Clackamas Permanently bans certain psilocybin-related businesses within unincorporated Clackamas County Passed
4-228 Clatsop Prohibits psilocybin-related businesses within the City of Warrenton Passed
4-233 Clatsop Prohibits psilocybin-related businesses within the City of Seaside Passed
8-115 Curry Prohibits Psilocybin Product Manufacturing and Service Centers in Brookings Passed
9-179 Deschutes Declaring a Two-Year Moratorium on Psilocybin Service Centers (City of Redmond) Passed
10-210 Douglas Prohibits psilocybin businesses within Sutherlin Passed
15-231 Jackson Prohibits psilocybin businesses within the City of Rogue River Passed
22-205 Linn Prohibition of psilocybin related businesses within the city of Lebanon Passed
24-505 Marion Prohibits psilocybin-related businesses within the City of Mt. Angel Passed
24-506 Marion Prohibits psilocybin-related businesses within the City of Jefferson Passed
24-508 Marion Prohibits psilocybin businesses within Hubbard Passed
29-181 Tillamook Prohibits Psilocybin-Related Businesses Within the City of Nehalem Awaiting final count
36-233 Yamhill Prohibits psilocybin-related businesses within the City of Sheridan Passed
36-235 Yamhill Prohibits psilocybin-related businesses within Amity Passed