Emily Johnson
The use of psychedelic mushrooms, also known as magic mushrooms, is a highly debated topic in the United States. While psilocybin, the hallucinogenic substance found in these mushrooms, is illegal in Massachusetts, several cities in the state have implemented measures to decriminalize its use, making it the state with the most local-level psychedelic decriminalization laws. In recent years, there has been a growing movement to legalize or decriminalize psilocybin due to its potential therapeutic benefits, with states like Oregon and Colorado leading the way. Despite these efforts, the use, sale, and possession of psilocybin remain illegal under federal law, classified as a Schedule I drug with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Psilocybin legality in Massachusetts | Illegal |
| Stance on hallucinogenic substances in "magic mushrooms" | Friendly |
| Number of cities in Massachusetts that have decriminalized psychedelics | 3 |
| Cities in Massachusetts that have decriminalized psychedelics | Northampton, Medford, Salem, Somerville, Cambridge, Easthampton, Amherst, and Provincetown |
| Psilocybin classification in Massachusetts compared to other states | Less serious |
| Federal classification of psilocybin | Schedule 1 drug |
| Commercial sale of psilocybin legality | Illegal |
| Number of states pursuing psychedelics reform legislation in 2023 | 11 |
| Number of Americans who used psilocybin mushrooms in 2023 | 8 million |
| Percentage of voters who support regulated therapeutic use of psychedelic substances | 61% |
| Massachusetts voters' decision on legal use of psychedelics | Rejected |
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What You'll Learn
- Psilocybin is illegal in Massachusetts, but the state has a friendly stance on it
- Three Massachusetts cities have decriminalised certain psychedelics, including magic mushrooms
- The state classifies psilocybin less seriously than almost any other state
- In 2024, Massachusetts voters rejected a law to legalise certain psychedelics
- Some Massachusetts communities have effectively decriminalised psychedelic mushrooms
Psilocybin is illegal in Massachusetts, but the state has a friendly stance on it
Psilocybin, the hallucinogenic substance found in "magic mushrooms", is illegal in Massachusetts. However, the state has a relatively friendly stance on the drug. While the state has not fully decriminalized psilocybin, several cities in Massachusetts have implemented measures to decriminalize certain psychedelics, including psilocybin. As of April 1, 2021, Northampton became the third Massachusetts city to decriminalize the possession, cultivation, and distribution of naturally occurring psychedelic substances, including psilocybin. Other cities that have adopted similar policies include Medford, Salem, Somerville, Cambridge, Easthampton, Amherst, and Provincetown.
The state of Massachusetts classifies psilocybin less seriously than almost any other state where the substance remains illegal. This is reflected in the state's consideration of various bills and initiatives to legalize or decriminalize psilocybin for therapeutic, spiritual, and medicinal purposes. For example, in February 2024, lawmakers approved a bill to legalize psilocybin therapy and set up a framework to license facilitators who would supervise the medical, therapeutic, and spiritual applications of the drug. Additionally, Gov. Maura Healey introduced a veterans-focused bill to create a psychedelics work group to study the therapeutic potential of substances like psilocybin.
Despite these progressive efforts, Massachusetts voters rejected a measure in November 2024 that would have legalized the possession and personal cultivation of certain naturally occurring psychedelics, including psilocybin, for individuals over the age of 21. The ballot initiative was considered too broad, leading to confusion among voters about its specific implications and scope. However, this rejection is not seen as a complete dismissal of legalizing psychedelics for specific purposes, as there is still significant support for therapeutic access.
While the use, sale, and possession of psilocybin are illegal under federal law, with the substance listed as a Schedule I drug, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) occasionally grants special licenses for studying the substance under controlled conditions. Additionally, more than a dozen cities across the United States have deprioritized or decriminalized psilocybin in recent years, indicating a growing trend toward reevaluating the legal status of psychedelic substances.
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Three Massachusetts cities have decriminalised certain psychedelics, including magic mushrooms
While psilocybin is illegal in Massachusetts, the state has a relatively friendly stance on the hallucinogenic substance found in "magic mushrooms". As of April 1, 2021, three Massachusetts cities have implemented measures to decriminalize certain psychedelics, including psilocybin. This makes Massachusetts the state with the most local-level psychedelic decriminalization laws. The three cities are Northampton, Medford, and Salem.
On April 1, 2021, the Northampton City Council voted unanimously (8-0) to decriminalize the possession, cultivation, and distribution of naturally occurring psychedelic substances found in entheogenic plants and fungi, including psilocybin, ibogaine, mescaline, ayahuasca, and peyote. Similarly, local leaders in Medford adopted a resolution to deprioritize arrests around psychedelic plants and fungi and urge county prosecutors to stop pursuing cases of possession, cultivation, or distribution of these substances. Medford is the eighth Massachusetts city to adopt such a policy, preceded by Salem, Somerville, Cambridge, Easthampton, Amherst, and Provincetown.
The push for decriminalization in these cities is part of a larger movement across the United States to change policies around psychedelics. More than a dozen cities nationwide have deprioritized or decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms in the past five years. In September 2018, the Food and Drug Administration granted psilocybin "breakthrough therapy" status for research, and advocates have cited research suggesting that the drug is non-addictive and causes a low number of emergency visits compared to other illegal drugs. In 2020, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize psilocybin and legalize it for supervised non-medical use, followed by similar measures in Colorado in 2022.
Despite the progress in these three cities, it is important to note that statewide legalization efforts in Massachusetts have faced setbacks. In November 2024, Massachusetts voters rejected a measure that would have legalized the use of certain natural psychedelic substances, including magic mushrooms, for adults over the age of 21. The ballot initiative was considered too broad, leading to confusion among voters about its specific implications and scope. However, supporters of psychedelic reform continue to pursue legislative avenues, with lawmakers in eleven states, including Massachusetts, pursuing psychedelics reform legislation in the 2023 session.
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The state classifies psilocybin less seriously than almost any other state
While psilocybin is illegal in Massachusetts, the state has a relatively friendly stance on the hallucinogenic substance found in "magic mushrooms". Three Massachusetts cities have implemented measures to decriminalize certain psychedelics, including psilocybin. This makes Massachusetts the state with the most local-level psychedelic decriminalization laws. On April 1, 2021, Northampton became the third Massachusetts city to decriminalize possession, cultivation, and distribution of the naturally occurring psychedelic substances found in entheogenic plants and fungi, including psilocybin. The Northampton City Council voted unanimously (8-0) on the measure.
In comparison to other states, Massachusetts law classifies psilocybin less seriously. This is because the state has more local-level psychedelic decriminalization laws than any other state. However, it is important to note that psilocybin is still illegal under federal law and is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. This means that it is deemed to have no medicinal benefit and a high potential for abuse. Despite this, there is a growing body of research that suggests psilocybin has therapeutic benefits and is non-addictive. As a result of this research, the Food and Drug Administration granted psilocybin "breakthrough therapy" status for research in October 2018 and again in November 2019.
In terms of other states' approaches to psilocybin regulation, Oregon was the first state to decriminalize psilocybin and legalize its supervised use in 2020. However, much of the measure decriminalizing psilocybin was repealed in 2024, effectively recriminalizing it. Colorado followed with a similar medical use and decriminalization measure in 2022, and New Mexico established a therapeutic psilocybin program in 2025. More than a dozen cities nationwide have deprioritized or decriminalized psilocybin in the past five years, including Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Denver, Colorado. In 2023, lawmakers in eleven states pursued psychedelics reform legislation, and in 2024, New York State Representative Amy Paulin introduced a bill that would allow people 18 and older to obtain a permit to grow mushrooms or purchase psilocybin from licensed vendors.
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In 2024, Massachusetts voters rejected a law to legalise certain psychedelics
The rejection of the statewide measure comes as several Massachusetts communities have already effectively decriminalised psychedelic mushrooms. As of 2021, three cities in Massachusetts had implemented measures to decriminalise certain psychedelics, including psilocybin, making it the state with the most local-level psychedelic decriminalisation laws at the time. These cities were Northampton, Salem, and Somerville.
The proposed law would have created a Natural Psychedelic Substances Commission responsible for regulating licensing, training, and safety requirements. It would also have established a Natural Psychedelic Substances Advisory Board to advise on regulation and taxation issues and set an excise tax of 15% on these substances.
The ballot initiative was criticised for being too broad, which may have contributed to its failure. However, despite the rejection of this measure, there is still support for legalising psychedelics for specific uses, particularly therapeutic access.
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Some Massachusetts communities have effectively decriminalised psychedelic mushrooms
While psilocybin is illegal in Massachusetts, the state has a relatively friendly stance on the hallucinogenic substance found in "magic mushrooms". As of April 2021, three Massachusetts cities had implemented measures to decriminalize certain psychedelics, including psilocybin. This made Massachusetts the state with the most local-level psychedelic decriminalization laws at the time. The three cities were Northampton, Salem, and Somerville. In March 2025, five more cities had followed suit, bringing the total to eight: Cambridge, Easthampton, Northampton, Amherst, and Provincetown.
In November 2024, Massachusetts voters rejected a law that would have legalized the possession and personal cultivation of certain naturally occurring psychedelics for people over the age of 21. The law would have allowed individuals to grow and possess limited quantities of those substances in their homes and would have created a commission to regulate those substances. The ballot initiative was too broad, causing confusion among voters about what exactly the measure would do and who it would apply to.
Despite the failure of the statewide ballot initiative, several Massachusetts communities have effectively decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms. For example, in April 2025, local leaders in Medford adopted a resolution to deprioritize arrests around psychedelic plants and fungi and urge county prosecutors to stop pursuing cases of possession, cultivation, or distribution of the substances.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, psilocybin, the hallucinogenic substance found in magic mushrooms, is illegal in Massachusetts. However, three cities in the state have decriminalized certain psychedelics, including psilocybin.
Yes, in 2020, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize psilocybin and legalize its supervised use. In 2022, Colorado followed suit with a similar measure. In 2020, the District of Columbia also passed an initiative to decriminalize psilocybin drugs, making arrests for their possession or use a low priority.
Advocates for decriminalization argue that psilocybin is non-addictive and causes fewer emergency visits compared to other illegal drugs. Research also suggests its potential beneficial use in treating treatment-resistant depression and nicotine dependence. Decriminalization would also allow law enforcement to focus on higher-priority issues affecting the general public.
