Letter to the Editor

As a Maine resident who has seen firsthand as family members and loved one’s struggle with PTSD and depression, I want to encourage Maine voters to support passage of LD 1914 —the Maine Psilocybin Health Access Act — which would make a positive impact on the mental health of Maine’s residents. For many Mainers, passage of this measure could change — and even save — their lives.

 LD 1914 creates a state-regulated therapeutic system for adults over 21 to access natural psychedelic medicine under the guidance of a licensed and supervised facilitator at designated healing centers and health-care facilities like palliative care. State health regulators would have the power to study, authorize and regulate treatment, and it would remain illegal to sell natural psychedelic medicines.

Johns Hopkins, NYU, UCLA, and other first-class research institutions around the world are posting groundbreaking results showing psilocybin as effective mental health treatment for those who have exhausted every treatment and lost hope. And clinical trials show that the safety profile of psilocybin is excellent.

The current treatments we have for serious mental health issues don’t always work for far too many people. Those who are struggling and have unsuccessfully tried every pill and therapy out there to cope with their depression and PTSD should have access to any potential healing approaches that might work for them.

Please contact your state legislator and encourage them to support LD 1914 and help provide patients with a real a chance to resolve the mental health challenges in front of them.