How to Regulate Psychedelics - A Practical Guide

At the time of writing, some form of decriminalisation of certain plant-based psychedelics has been introduced in nearly 20 US cities.30 The states of Oregon and Colorado have gone a step further by opting, in 2020 and 2022 respectively, to legalise and regulate the production and provision of certain plant- based psychedelics. [...] Since 2021, the Jamaican Government has been actively encouraging the development of psilocybin- related research and business opportunities.32 The resurgence of research into the medical and therapeutic potential of psychedelics, suppressed for decades since a previous blossoming of research in the 1960s, has been a key factor in these reforms. [...] In the literature on psychedelics, particular attention has been drawn to the roles of the emotional and psychological state of the consumer — the set  — and the context in which the drug is being taken  — the setting (See:  p.43). [...] Setting is the environmental context in which the person uses psychedelics.81 For example, being in a good mood and a positive environment increases the likelihood of a positive and enjoyable experience, and conversely, feeling anxious or using in a threatening or unsafe environment, increases the likelihood of a negative or challenging experience. [...] The process of legalisation and regulatory design offers a chance to be innovative and ambitious, to do things differently and better, not only in creating a more equitable and just policy and market landscape, but also to help repair the harms of past policy failings.