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A STRALIA p. \k PM ,::* r 30 January 2019 , elk, . of , 44' ^;)/ ' Co FD ^ C^' ..^, Australian Psychedelic Society Inc. "aI fly I\a I> SUBMISSION To THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN INQUIRY INTO ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES To REDUCING ILLICIT DRUG USE AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE COMMUNITY To the Select Committee into alternate approaches to reducing illicit drug use and its effects on the community A STRALIA" o PSYeHEDELIC So IETY Contact Nick Wallis President of the Australian Psychedelic Society info@psychede"CSociety. org. ou Contents I. Terms of Reference 2 2. The Australian Psychedelic Society 2 3. Scope of Submission 3 4. History and Overview 3 5. Current Laws in Relation to Psychedelic Related Harms 3 6. Other Approaches to Minimise Harms 8 6.1 Approaches in Other Jurisdictions 8 6.2 Social and Health 8 6.3 Research 8 6.4 Threshold Quantities for Drug Supply Charges 9 6.5 Drug Checking 10 6.6 Reclassification 11 6.7 Decriminalisation 11 6.8 Exemptions for Religious Use 1.2 6.9 Regulation 1.4 7. Recommendations 1.6 8. References 17 I. Terms of Reference (1) A Select Committee examining alternate approaches to reducing illicit drug use and its effects on the community is established. (2) The Select Committee is to inquire into and report on - (a) other Australian state jurisdictions and international approaches (including Portugal) to reducing harm from illicit drug use, including the relative weighting given to enforcement, health and social interventions; (b) a comparison of effectiveness and cost to the community of drug related laws between ~ Western Australia and other jurisdictions; (c) the applicability of alternate approaches to minimising harms from illicit drug use from other jurisdictions to the Western Australian context; and (d) consider any other relevant matter, (3) The Select Committee is to report no later than twelve months after the motion is agreed to. (4) The Select Committee shall consist of five members; Hon A1ison Xamon (Chair); Hon Samantha Rowe (Deputy Chair); Hon Colin de Grussa; Hon Michael Mischin; and Hon Aaron Stonehouse. 2. The Australia n Psychedelic Society The Australian Psychedelic Society (APS) was officially launched in January 201.7 and became an incorporated association on 20 February 20.8. The APS aims to work with all levels of Government to develop laws and policies which maximize psychedelic related healthj social and economic benefits, while respecting human rights and cognitive liberty. As such the APS would like to be consulted on all policy or legislation relevant to APS aims and objectives. The purposes of the association are; (1) Provide educational resources to the psychedelic community; - improve safety, wellbeing and promote best practice; - increase community cohesion and build support networks; (2) Represent and advocate for the psychedelic community; - provide opportunities for the psychedelic community to have a voice on policy, legislation and community development based on best practice, human rights, and harm reduction. (3) Support psychedelic research to increase benefits to society . 2 3. Scope of Submission This submission is specifically relates to the use of serotonergic or classical psychedelics, which are a sub-class of hallucinogen', These psychedelics are a diverse range of substances both natural and synthetic, which are associated with changes in perception and thought, usually primarily through interaction with 5-HT2A receptors in the central nervous system. Classical psychedelics include mescaline, psilocybin, N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). The scope also includes monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitors, such the beta-carbolines, traditionally found in Bonisteriopsis coopi. MAO-Ainhibitors are used to enable DMTto be orally active in ayahuasca2. 4. History and Overview The use of psychedelics predates written history and they were employed by early cultures in many SOCiocultural and ritual contexts. Widespread therapeutic use of LSD and similar psychedelic drugs did not begin until the 1950s, By 1965 more than two thousand papers were published in scientific journals describing treatment, of thirty to forty thousand patients, with psychedelics. Even though results appeared promising, by the 1970s, under pressure from the United States (Us)justice department, -virtually all research had ended. LSD had leaked from the scientific community to a wider audience. By 1966 public use of LSD and its links to the hippy counterculture had become a problem for the Us, when its possession was made illegal. This prompted the scientific community to distance themselves from interest in psychedelics. As a result, research use ceased while illicit use remained, fuelled by a growing criminal distribution and financial system (Nichols 2016; Sessa 2005; Masters & Houston 1,970; Buckman, 1,967). 5. Current Laws in Relation to Psychedelic Related Harms In Australia psychedelics are currently classified under Schedule 9 of the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (Poisons Standard). This classification is reflected in State and Territory laws. The current classification of psychedelics seems to be applied arbitrarily without any scientific, SOCiological or medical justification. These laws and policies are not based on evidence or best practice. It is important to keep laws and policies up to date and bring them in line with scientific knowledge, best practice and international covenants. Figure I shows the results of a survey of self reported harms and benefits of various drugs against United States and United Kingdom laws (Morgan at a1,2013). Australia has very similar socio-economic and cultural circumstances, and drug laws compared to these countries. ' The term hallucinogen also includes dissociatives, such as ketamine and PCP, and deliriants such as SCOPolamine which may be found in Datura species. ' Usually, but riot always, a decoction made with the Bonisteriopsi:s coopivine and Psychotrio viridis leaves. 3 (a) Schedule I 2.5 . Schedule 11 2 Schedule 1/1 E . Schedule N " 15 . NO Schedule = ,, U ^ I 0.5 o ,.BS <^" .,^' A ^,' *90 ,^.* *!" ,^^' I ^ ,,* ,, <" be" ,,^ ^;. + ^-**e. e**," (b) 2.5 Class A Z . Class B E . Class C I, 1.5 = . NO Classification F re 41 I ^ 0.5 o ^, <9, .*, *;" ' ' "' "' dt"/ s' 89" I ^$' .,* ,6' * .$;"' ^ if $f' ^. .$, ^ .a^' "' ^ E^ ^^ Figure I. Mean harm ratings of drugs against a) Us Schedules under the Controlled Substances Act by UK legal classifications under the Misuse of Drugs Act. IThe term 'Hallucinogen' includes classical psychedelics along with 2CB I2Cl which have a low affinity for the SHT2A receptor, and Salvia divinorum which has no affinity for the 5HT2A receptor I The current situation in regard to laws and policies pertaining to the use of psychedelics is reflected in this quote from the Global Commission on Drug Policy (201.6); "It is, however, time to challenge more fundamentally the way societies view drugs and those who use them. Psychoactive substances have accompanied humanity throughout its whole history. Some, such as alcohol or tobacco, are legally accepted in many regions of the world; others are recognized and prescribed as medicines, while what people refer to as "drugs" in the context of illicit consumption are prohibited by international treaties. The vast majority of people use all these substances in a reasonable war The Global Commission on Drug Policy 201.6 Report makes it clear that harms are increased by taking a punitive approach to drugs, instead of a public health approach. The current laws and policies increase the risks associated with drug use, including increasing the risks associated with psychedelics. Prohibition leads to such use typically occurring in an underground and idiosyncratic manner that often leaves individuals on their own with regard to the interpretation and integration of their experiences and insights. In contrast, the numerous examples in the ethnographic and the historical literature indicate that many cultures independently developed similar frameworks for using these substances for both individually and socially beneficial purposes and arrived at similar conclusions as to which of the substances available to them were the most appropriate for these purposes (Baker, 2005). There is now a modern equivalent to these process as details be Fadiman, (2011). Although there are differences in safety profile between the various psychedelics or psychedelic admixtures, overall psychedelics show a low toxicity compared to illegal and regulated drugs (Nutt, 2007). Psychedelics show a high safety profile especially when administered in controlled settings. The utilisation of psychedelics has not been shown to negatively affect public health, and no long term negative effects have been found (10hansen 201.5; Bous0,2012; Studerus at a1. , 20/01. Indeed the use of psychedelics has been shown to be associated with positive outcomes in the in Id-to long-term (Carhart-Harris at a1,2016; Heridricks et a1. , 201.5; 10hansen & Krebs, 2015; MDro at a1. , 201.1. ). Psychedelics are generally considered as physiologically safe and and do riot lead to dependence or addiction (Nichols, 2016). Johansen & Krebs (2015) state that "Psychedelics are not known to harm the brain or other body organs or to cause addiction or compulsive use; serious adverse events involving psychedelics are extremely rare. " The vast majority of people are riot interested in trying psychedelics, let alone continuing to explore their potential. This can be seen in Figure 2, which shows users
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