Regulations
The Illinois CURE Act: Shaping the Future of Psychedelic Policy
August 27, 2024
Featuring: Jean Lacy & Representative La Shawn K. Ford
While Oregon and Colorado make all the headlines around establishing legal frameworks for psychedelic use, much is happening behind the scenes in other states. One state is Illinois and what they hope to accomplish with the Illinois CURE Act.
While Oregon and Colorado make all the headlines around establishing legal frameworks for psychedelic use, much is happening behind the scenes in other states. One state is Illinois and what they hope to accomplish with the Illinois CURE Act.
In this episode, Joe interviews Jean Lacy: Executive Director of the Illinois Psychedelic Society; and La Shawn K. Ford: 17-year member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 8th District.
Together, they are working on the CURE (Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens) Act, which aims to decriminalize plant medicines and bring a state-regulated model for psychedelic use to Illinois. Similar to Oregon’s model – but with hopefully a more cohesive ecosystem – it would include service centers, different license types, the removal of psilocybin and psilocin from the controlled substances list, and a percentage of taxes allocated to the education of first responders and law enforcement. Guided by the mistakes of cannabis legalization, they’re putting a lot of focus on accessibility – not just for consumers, but for people trying to get licenses and open businesses. What does equity and inclusion look like in a psychedelic service model?
They discuss:
- The need to educate lawmakers about psychedelics and shine a light on the myths and lies of the Drug War
- The importance of understanding the process when working with lawmakers: When it’s done right, democracy can actually happen
- Why conversations about accessibility and certain provisions need to happen up front, as bills are being written
- The impact of bipartisan support, and how bipartisan psychedelics are starting to become
- The overwhelming support for the CURE Act that Rep. Ford has seen, from people of all walks of life
and more!
If you want to help, please sign their petition and/or make a donation. And if you want to help on a larger scale, get out there and have those conversations: Tell your story, and tell it to lawmakers. Your voice can make a bigger difference than you realize.
Links
Illinoispsychedelicsociety.org
Illinoispsychedelicsociety.org: CURE Act
Donate: Supporting the Compassionate Use and Research of Psilocybin in Illinois
PT223 – Daniel Carcillo – Life After Sports
Psychedelicmedicinecoalition.org
PT213 – Dr. Matt Brown – Osteopathy and Exploring Energy
Meetup.com: Psychedelics and the Future of Psychiatry
