The purpose of these testimonials is to briefly and powerfully explain why you are passionate about decriminalization. Lawmakers, and really anyone you are trying to persuade, want to know why you care and what motivates you. We have offered a few examples below and here’s some specific advice:

Get personal: Have you, a friend, or a loved one been healed of an ailment through psychedelics? Are you terrified about the prospect of people in your community being arrested simply for using drugs? Whatever your angle, speak what is in your heart.

Frame the future: don’t just be negative. End your statement by telling the person the world you want to see or create. This optimism will inspire them to action.

Prime them: research shows that words like “community,” “us,” “we,” “neighbor,” and “our” prime people to see issues in a more collective and compassionate way.

1. I am a registered nurse who has suffered from chronic migraines since I was 8 years old. This debilitating illness has brought me to some dark places in my life including an addiction to opioids to manage the pain. psychedelic medicines like psilocybin have changed my life by helping me manage my excruciating migraines and overcome the addiction that was standing in the way of my best life.

2. My sister and close friends suffer from severe depression, and I’ve seen first hand how these natural medicines can help our loved ones work through trauma and move forward with a positive vision for their lives. At a time when depression and anxiety are crippling our friends and families, I want our community to move forward with decriminalizing and safely regulating this alternative.

3. Since our family suffers from mental health issues, my sister and I have been able to share the power of this natural medicine with family members for which traditionally modern methods have failed them. Decriminalization offers our community and loved ones the opportunity to safely use these medicines to achieve their highest potential.

4. I am a psychotherapist specializing in trauma and substance use disorders. During my many years of working in substance abuse centers and medicinal retreats.I have observed that psychedelics provide life-altering benefits for some patients. With breakthroughs in research on the medicinal use of psychedelics, my patients have shown an increased interest in the use of these plant medicines to treat debilitating psychological symptoms as a last resort. Some travel to countries like Peru or Jamaicato use them legally while others use them in uncontrolled settings due to criminalization. Decriminalizing these substances will reorient our community resources toward harm-reduction education and medically guided use with great promise for addiction and mental health treatment.