Changing Policy

The cultivation, use, and trade of psychoactive substances — including psychedelics — has been a consistent aspect of human history, but prohibition, criminalization, and militarization — and their inherent oppression — have led to drastic consequences. The ongoing, global War on Drugs has been justified by bad science, racism, and fear for too long: it has led to mass incarceration; erosion of civil liberties; ecological damage; economic waste; and the public health polycrisis of adulteration, poisoning, and overdose. Many of these harmful effects have disproportionately impacted the most historically exploited and oppressed communities. Consequently, we believe societies worldwide have an obligation to account for and repair those harms, to the extent possible.

MAPS envisions a post-prohibition future based on Consciousness, not Criminalization.

What do we mean by Consciousness, not Criminalization?

MAPS advocates for a harmonious ecosystem of drug policies that support the dignity and rights of people who use psychedelics and other drugs, free from fear and stigma. Responsible drug policy requires reflection, honesty, and self-awareness — not only for individuals but for society as a whole. We reject the criminalization of people growing, making, distributing, and/or using drugs, which increases the risk of drug use and the danger of underground drug economies. Prohibition simply doesn’t keep people who use drugs or our families or communities safe.

We foster a diverse psychedelic ecosystem

Effective public health interventions require an honest and comprehensive assessment of the actual risks of drugs and the policies that regulate them — or fail to. Because psychedelic policy is interconnected with many other elements of our society, including economic, ecological, and cultural ones, we seek nuance and temperance in our advocacy. To achieve equilibrium between these interlocking pieces, we carefully and intentionally pursue a variety of policy pathways in service to a more compassionate post-prohibition world.

We are committed to freedom of choice

The simple reality is that different people use psychedelics in different ways. We work to protect individual choice and agency by identifying where different policy approaches can complement one another, rather than stifle possibility. Creating legal access to psychedelics for a wide range of individuals and communities across personal, collective, healing, and spiritual contexts requires a multi-model ecosystem to increase points of access and implement appropriate oversight and accountability.

We are reparative and generative

We strive to incorporate measures that repair the harms of the War on Drugs and lay the groundwork for future criminal justice and drug policy reform, even beyond psychedelics. In addition to the inherently political nature of our work, we also seek to understand the spiritual, social, and geopolitical aspects of the resurgence of interest in psychedelic substances to help us craft policy that heals — instead of reproduces — the erroneous and destructive logic of drug prohibition.

A Harmonious Ecosystem

We do our best to lay the groundwork for future broad all-drug policy reform, even while strategically advancing reforms for single drugs or limited categories of drugs
We strive to protect the rights of — and reduce the negative impacts on — people, plants, or practices that have histories of use in Indigenous or underground settings
We seek clarity about the origins, preparations, or ecological sources of psychedelic substances, whether plants, animals, or synthetics
We commit to including reparative measures whenever possible, like protections for historical and ongoing traditional, individual, and community use and relationship

MAPS’ Policy Agenda

Ecosystem Stewardship

Through our strategic and multifaceted approach — which includes stakeholder engagement, research, and data analysis — we help advance evidence-based, equitable, and compassionate frameworks to create a world rooted in shared values, health, and compassion. We haven’t done this alone — long-standing systemic and societal transformation requires a collective effort, so we have strategically partnered with like-minded individuals and organizations worldwide to build and maintain this movement.

Thought Leadership

Since founding MAPS’ policy department in 2015, we are proud to have provided advisory input, technical advising, public comment, and testimony for bills, committees, proposals, and task forces in Washington DC, in states across the US, and globally at the United Nations and in countries around the world. Our efforts have advanced successful reforms and first-of-their-kind proposals, and we are grateful to be part of an increasing chorus of voices advancing policy change.

Repairing Harms from the War on Drugs

Reforming Drug Sentencing Guidelines

Draconian federal guidelines have resulted in decades of unjust drug sentencing, fueling the mass incarceration crisis, violations of human rights, and the proliferation of trauma. In response to the urgent need to re-evaluate drug prohibition, we have pursued efforts to reform sentencing guidelines to alleviate some of the socioeconomic harms of the War on Drugs. Learn more about our work to reform drug sentencing guidelines.

Psychedelics for Legal System Survivors

People impacted by the criminal legal system have historically been left out of conversations about mental health despite a high prevalence of trauma, substance use disorders, and other complex mental health diagnoses resulting from incarceration, racism, and poverty. To ensure people impacted by the criminal legal system aren’t excluded as psychedelics evolve within the mainstream, MAPS has initiated a project to explore the legal, ethical, and practical considerations related to offering psychedelic-assisted care to system-impacted people.

Health Equity in the Psychedelic Ecosystem

Over the years, we have worked to advance health equity in the emergent legal psychedelic ecosystem by producing and curating panels, talks, workshops, and events that acknowledge existing racial and other imbalances in access to psychedelic care, education, or training. Check out our 2019 Psychedelic Medicine and Cultural Trauma workshop on the intersection of psychedelics and cultural and racial trauma or the Policy and Culture stage lineups at Psychedelic Science 2023.