Michigan Senators Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) and Adam Hollier (D-Detroit) co-sponsored and introduced legislation last week that would decriminalize the use of psilocybin and mescaline and allow the possession, cultivation and delivery of these two types of psychedelics.

In an interview with the Michigan Advance, Irwin contended that psychedelics provide several benefits and that continued prohibition was a waste of time and resources.

“These substances have medicinal value, they have religious significance and they have a very low propensity for abuse,” Irwin said. “And so that’s why I’m proposing to decriminalize the substance because it really makes no sense to spend any time or money arresting people and turning their lives upside down.”

No Medicinal Properties? Researchers Beg To Differ: Like cannabis, psychedelics are classified as a Schedule-1 drug with “no currently accepted medical use and "potential for abuse.”

However, numerous studies currently underway have shown that psychedelics are indeed helping patients with crippling mental illnesses such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and addictions.

Research institutions such as John Hopkins University and the University of California, Berkeley, have also recently opened centers dedicated to psychedelic research.

Irwin emphasized that the legislation would rid people of having to choose between prioritizing their health and safety or following the law.

“Fixing that for those people and giving our institutions an opportunity to research and learn more about why these substances work for some people can be a great benefit to many people who are struggling with mental illness,” Irwin said.

Photo: Landon Parenteau on Unsplash