Connect with us

Published

2 years ago

on

“I always had this kind of idea that, ‘Oh, magic mushrooms just grow like deep in the forest and they’re hard to identify and all this stuff,” says Sean, a Portland-based social worker who asked that we use only his first name in this story.

In 2016, he and his girlfriend were foraging for psychedelic mushrooms in a nearby state park, where the mushrooms were plentiful and easy to find, contrary to his expectations. But he was stopped by a park ranger.

“[The ranger] saw me bending down and screeched to a halt and came up and started questioning me,” says Sean. “I knew it was illegal, but I thought, like, ‘Oh, they’ll give me a ticket or something.'”

He was arrested and spent the weekend in county jail.  He pled guilty to felony possession, which derailed his career. He was fired from his job at a community mental health agency, and it made him ineligible to receive insurance in his private practice.

“It was professionally kind of devastating, personally, it was devastating… It is still impacting me to this day,” says Sean.

Four years later, Oregon voters decriminalized low-level drug possession. If that law had been in place in 2016, the park ranger would probably have ticketed Sean $100.

In a separate 2020 ballot initiative, Oregon voters also opted to legalize psilocybin—the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms—for use in therapeutic settings. Regulators have until January 2023 to begin issuing licenses.

“It’s a great thing to be able to start to have this system in place [where] we’ll be able to do that work above ground with legal protections,” says Sean. 

But Sean didn’t wait around for the state licensing program. He started treating his clients with psychedelics after his felony conviction destroyed his traditional practice, under the condition that the clients supply the drugs.

“Psilocybin from magic mushrooms has real potential to revolutionize mental health treatment,” says Sean. “[Mushrooms] allow the sort of deep work that otherwise in therapy can take years to do effectively.”

Read more on Reason…

Related Topics:
Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Health

Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, Has Been Diagnosed with Terminal Cancer

This follows his transfer to a medical facility in December

Published

1 year ago

on

February 7, 2022

By

The new comes from a letter he wrote:

Continue Reading

Health

French President Emmanuel Macron Says Someone Who Refuses COVID Vaccine Is ‘Not a Citizen’

French president Macron’s desire to ‘piss off’ unvaccinated individuals triggers outrage

Published

1 year ago

on

January 5, 2022

By

French President Emmanuel Macron Says Someone Who Refuses COVID Vaccine Is ‘Not a Citizen’

French President Emmanuel Macron faced significant criticism for his comments claiming that he would like to “piss off” unvaccinated individuals. 

Macron spoke candidly during an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien, during which he said that he wanted to make life difficult for individuals who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine. The French “sanitary pass” has prompted a number of protests and stiff opposition while the country nears 75% full vaccination. 

“I really want to piss them off, and we’ll carry on doing this – to the end,” Macron said three months ahead of a presidential election. “I won’t send [unvaccinated people] to prison, so we need to tell them, from 15 January, you will no longer be able to go to the restaurant. You will no longer be able to go for a coffee, you will no longer be able to go to the theatre. You will no longer be able to go to the cinema.”

The French Parliament heard Macron’s comments during a debate over his proposed bill to tighten restrictions for unvaccinated individuals, leading to a swift and strong uproar in response. 

His opponents have labeled the comments “unworthy” of a president. 

“Even if one doesn’t share their choice, they have broken none of our country’s laws,” Marine Le Pen, Macron’s chief opponent in the upcoming election, told reporters late Tuesday. “He is continuing his policy of division, of pitting the French against one another.”

She later tweeted “A president shouldn’t say that…Emmanuel Macron is unworthy of his office.” 

Leftist politician Jean-Luc Melanchon described the remarks as an “astonishing confession,” according to the BBC. 

But Macron’s allies have defended the comments, with Stéphane Séjourné, a member of the European Parliament, arguing on Twitter that unvaccinated individuals have “bothered” the French by “forcing the rest of the population to endure restrictions.” 

Debate over Macron’s bill continue into Wednesday as opponents still seek to delay its passage. Some of his supporters claimed to have received death threats because they are backing the legislation, The New York Times reported. 

Read more on Fox News

Continue Reading

Health

Boston Mayor Wu Relentlessly Heckled As New COVID-19 Restrictions Are Announced

Published

1 year ago

on

December 21, 2021

By

Boston Mayor Wu Relentlessly Heckled As New COVID-19 Restrictions Are Announced

Boston unveils the ‘Be Together’ initiative, requiring full vaccination for entry to restaurants, gyms, and sports arenas for anyone 12 and older. In March the mandate will phase-in for younger children.

Continue Reading

Trending