Should I/we work to legalize DMT, or is it too soon?

[RAM]

I happen to live in a dainty liberal college town, and I have the option to join a drug policy group that fights to end the "fear based laws" surrounding drugs. Of course marijuana and psychs for studies are big foci as of now, but the group do focus on individual drugs and give presentations on them.

I have the option of joining, and I can envision myself eventually addressing city council (this organization has done this in the past). Since DMT is not very well known, I feel as if we could work to get it decriminalized at the very least.

My question to you is: is this even worth it at this time? I would not want to bring unnecessary attention to something that is not "searched out" like some other illicit drugs. The plants can be obtained with ease and legality, and I wouldn't want this to change.

IMO, all psychs will be legal and regulated eventually (I'm talking 75-150 years from now). But at this time, when even the laws around marijuana are so tense, should I start with advocating for DMT legalization on a local level?

 

[Icon]

Sure, I'd join. Not enough people are organizing to fight for what they believe in these days.
Advocate rights to personal use. There's other organizations that are launching campaigns with sooner goals. Global Commission on Drug Policy was just founded by a dozen countries former presidents to create a serious discussion on legalizing all drugs in 2016. I can see it happening in the next 5-10 years, sooner if more people help.

 

[HumbleTraveler]

You should certainly not. There are numerous reasons why, here is just one of several.


If you had small town people...or most people in general, hear that this outstanding wonder substance is made out of a plant, but by using heavy duty industrial chemicals requiring a breather mask and gloves, their heads would spin. They'd look at you like you were a nut.

Ayahuasca, ok maybe, at least its just boiled vine and leaves.


Look at it this way, if you walked into a convenience store and wanted a sports drink, would you buy Gatorade or Bob's Sports Potion? Most wouldnt even think twice, theyd grab Gatorade. Because it's in their face, it's familiar. It's THE sports drink.

What do you think the chances of anyone being open to legalizing the most powerful hallucinogenic drug on earth are when theyve likely never even heard of it.

Marijuana is one thing because it's a household name whether people are for it or not. DMT, LOL.

 

[dreamer042]

I would recommend you definitely do join. We need all the people we can get working for reform of these archaic and fear based laws.

I would recommend you do not limit your focus to DMT. It is just one of many psychedelics and I think in a case like this it's a better approach to go for all psychedelics. DMT can be used an example being that it is endogenous, but there are a lot more studies on psilocybin and LSD, a lot more cultural, historical, and religious support for ayahuasca and peyote, and so on.

We are looking at legalization of MDMA within the next 7 years and that's pretty impressive in my book. Rather than bringing more attention to specfic compounds, I think it's wiser to do what we can to push forward the overall movement.

 

[RAM]

If you had small town people...or most people in general, hear that this outstanding wonder substance is made out of a plant, but by using heavy duty industrial chemicals requiring a breather mask and gloves, their heads would spin. They'd look at you like you were a nut.

Thanks for this; it does make a lot of sense. I was operating more under maybe because it is so esoteric they might think, "Oh well it is just some chemical and it's in our bodies anyway, might as well decriminalize it."

The town has a very, very liberal stance toward marijuana so I thought I could get lucky.

Rather than bringing more attention to specfic compounds, I think it's wiser to do what we can to push forward the overall movement.

I love this quote, and I always feel as if our society is converging toward liberation in regard to psychedelics. I got excited with DMT in particular because it is pretty much the only substance I plan to indulge in at this point (besides marijuana which is essentially legal here), and from everything I see online it seems underrepresented.

I'll think about it. If I do join, I'll probably take your advice and while I may do a couple presentations on DMT for "harm reduction" or "general advising," we will work for total freedom altogether.

 

[Sandgrease]

Stick with trying to get Cannabis legalized. Psychs and empaths will come after people learn to use Cannabis responsibly.

 

[HumbleTraveler]

You are welcome! Believe me, I wish that these substances werent behind the curtain like they are.

Elaborating a bit on what dreamer said, I do think that rather than trying to legalize these substances at face value, in a world goaded into fear of its own minds by the magical talking box in every ones living rooms, perhaps slowly informing the public about what exactly we have to learn from these things would be far better simply than pushing for legalization up front, as Graham Hancock has done a fine job of, and even Joe Rogan to an extent, though to a much more ostentatious, slightly less classy crowd due to his fame in other arenas. Not to take anything from Joe away, he's a really funny and very well rounded guy.

Eventually, the movement will push for legalization by default simply because of the number of people who will have become educated on this topic, on "what, how and why" rather than "just because".

 

[RAM]

Education does come slowly, but it comes. I assume in the early 1900s things like gay marriage and abortion (lovely hot button social issues) were completely kept under the rug by mainstream society, but today are pretty much accepted, even if it's by the NIMBY crowd (who I don't mind but that's another issue entirely).

Maybe in 2075 psychs will be either completely accepted or at the very least condoned by the people who just don't want their kids dabbling in it. I'll be really old and allowed to walk around incapacitated anyway, but I'll be like "Yup. I knew it was going to be like this. Search the web with your brain for DMTheory on the Nexus for proof!"

 

[--Shadow]

Until we get enough celebrities and successful professionals advocating for psychedelics, I feel like mainstream society is not yet ready for it....

When I ask Snu about promoting his book "Garden of Eden" thru Joe Rogan, his reply was that he didn't think the book was ready for wide publicity, but rather needed to (sic) "slip into the cracks of society"

On one hand I feel like saying "Go for it! Full steam ahead!", you would make a better judge of your communities reaction than I would...
BUT...a part of me thinks it may be more prudent to see how things first pan out with cannabis legalization around the world.

There may be a danger of backfiring if we start too strongly... I really don't know.... I am genuinely undecided on the matter

 

[null24]

I don't know about the rest of the world, but here in the States, we are undergoing a radical change of thinking -a paradigm shift involving drugs. When I was a profligate pot smoking teenager I never thought I would see the day when I could smoke pot with legal impunity. o
Organizations like maps and the DMT Nexus are working very hard towards this legalization and legitimatizing psychedelics for therapy and other beneficial uses, as well changing the outdated religious and moralistic views on personal drug use.

I see this happening in closer to 5 to 10 years rather than 75 to 100. But not only do we need celebrity voices,( well other than Lindsay Lohan,lol),we also need the voices of young students like you. Responsible intelligent people, not wild eyed hippies spouting Timothy Leary aphorisms.
So go for it man! And while you're at it maybe throw a few bucks at MAPS, or help fund the Nexus presence at the Ibiza ayahuasca conference.

I've been amazed at the number of media presentations I've seen on national television cable and otherwise about psychedelic therapy. It's damn near mean stream,and with all of our help we're going to make it there man.

The underground research going on here will one day be seen as the great public resource that it is. I've seen so many lives robbed of their potential by trauma and addiction and it breaks my heart to know that we are sitting on veritable cures for what ails society. There is so much at stake, and so much that can be done that I feel that if one has personal knowledge of the great power these medicines hold it would be irresponsible on a global, social, human level to not put some resources towards the end goal of legitimization.

 

[RAM]

I am genuinely undecided on the matter

This is why I asked here! It seems like a good idea on the surface but when you think about we live in obscurity but still reap the benefits of government studies and eventual psych legalization so it may be best to leave it alone, or simply fight for overall legalization.

 

[RAM]

I see this happening in closer to 5 10 years rather than 75 to 100.

Really so soon?! I would love to see this, but it just so close. However it might just be media and government propaganda that is holding my views back when there are a ton of studies going on behind the scene that I don't hear about everyday.

Hopefully we will all be around in 20 years to see the total progress made by then. If we get some forward looking politicians and more celebrity voices as was mentioned here multiple times, there really seems to be hope!

Also there might be a chain reaction; psychs might make many people more empathetic, which could aid in solving other societal and environmental problems. It's hard to say, but there seems to be hope.

 

[null24]

Call me a positive thinker. That's be a first!

 

[null24]

Also there might be a chain reaction; psychs might make many people more empathetic, which could aid in solving other societal and environmental problems. It's hard to say, but there seems to be hope.

Yes.

 

[Parshvik Chintan]

by using heavy duty industrial chemicals requiring a breather mask and gloves

..like vegetable oil, washing soda, and vinegar?

 

[Arcturus]

IMO, all psychs will be legal and regulated eventually (I'm talking 75-150 years from now).

If we assume time is speeding up and events are happening faster, I hope to see the first countries legalizing dmt in 7,5 to 15 years from now. Its perfectly safe imho, it only helped me...

I live in a country where I can freely speak about psychedelics, and always mention dmt in serious conversations with the correct topic. I try to explain the positive effects it can have if used correctly. All my friends and family already know about it and are open towards it.

 

[RAM]

All my friends and family already know about it and are open towards it.

That's great to hear! We do have some very progressive places in the world, but there is still so much negative propaganda and energy out there. I tend to think of countries like China, Russia, and even Japan sometimes that seem from my USA view to repress the people so much and would not even consider allowing something so mind expanding as freebase DMT to be legal. (Although on an interesting side note I have noticed that both marijuana and meth are completely legal in North Korea, but they already have all of the front-end brainwashing/fear so it wouldn't really matter anyway.)

I understand many countries have their aboriginals who are allowed to practice shamanistic techniques, but I'm talking DMT/shrooms dispensaries, preferably with required classes on the effects before one is licensed to freely indulge.

Maybe we should all compromise on about 30 years for decriminalization and availability in mainstream areas? Or is it really just too hard to predict as of now?

 

[--Shadow]

Now that I have thought about it a little more... I personally would be more inclined to wait until the scientific studies have caught up a bit more.

From the get-go, the conversation should be presented with a strong backing of scientific evidence, with regards to answering public health, social and economic concerns.

Arguments against those that are scientifically backed, rarely triumph

 

[Icon]

Well, there's a thought that if you let "them" do the bulk of the work and rely on scientific medical studies, that the outcome would still fall short. There's value in science and experiments and results, but I think the bigger underlying movement is that we're goddamn human beings and deserve the right to personal use. Shouldn't have to be fatally ill or crippled to get permission to smoke some cannabis or drop a psychedelic. That's a message that doesn't need studies supporting it, and I think more people are realizing that. Why beat around the bush and act like it needs to be handled by people with PHD's when we're all here having respectful enough discussions and have the best evidence of all of its safety--experience.

 

[dreamer042]

This is the way I see it going down.

First MAPS launches and completes the phase three clinical trials of MDMA. MDMA is legalized and therapy clinics begin to spring up across the US. MAPS projected date for this is 2021, this is out of the realm of speculation and is actually happening right now.

After MDMA the most likely candidate is psilocybin since there is a growing pile of evidence for its efficacy, and several phase one clinical trials are scheduled, underway, or have already been completed (1,2,3,4). As the MDMA clinics grow psilocybin should start undergoing phase two and three clinical trials and become a prescription medicine within the next couple decades. From there we will probably see LSD and mescaline come back into the picture and I suspect ibogaine as well. Ayahausca is going to the be hardest one of the bunch since it is a plant medicine and not a pure compound, however many people are working on standardizing ayahausca (mostly through freeze drying brews) such that it can begin undergoing clinical trials.

I doubt we will see a dispensary model like with cannabis anytime soon and I don't know if or when freebase DMT will ever show up in the picture. Most likely you'll head down to the local MAPS clinic and talk with a professional psychologist/psychiatrist possibly teamed up with someone trained in indigenous healing traditions and you'll schedule a session to have an experience under the guidance of these professionals. I could see down the line it ending up a "take two of these LSD's and call me in the morning" situation, though I suspect things will be more controlled than that.

Given government red tape this will probably be a multi-decade process, but in the end we will see legalized psychedelics, that much I'm sure of.

What we can do now is simply try to share good information, correct misinformation, practice harm reduction, and live our lives as impeccably as possible such that we can be a shining example how these medicines can be used to heal and empower people to become productive respectable members of their communities.