Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
Web version: [link removed]
** June 27, 2024
------------------------------------------------------------
Magic Mushrooms, MDMA, and Other Psychedelics: Exploring the Policy Options
Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as magic mushrooms, are the most-used psychedelic drug in the United States. That's according to a new RAND study, which included a national survey on the use of such substances.
About 12 percent of respondents said they used psilocybin at some point over their lives, and 3.1 percent reported they used it over the past year. With an estimated 8 million American adults using psilocybin in 2023, its popularity has outpaced that of other psychedelic drugs such as MDMA, commonly called ecstasy.
Federal law prohibits the supply and possession of psychedelics--outside of approved clinical research and some religious exemptions. However, some state and local governments are loosening their policies. Some jurisdictions have even legalized certain psychedelic substances for adults to use for any reason.
"The current situation with psychedelics reminds me of where we were with cannabis policy 12 years ago," said RAND's Beau Kilmer, lead author of the study. "Now is the time for federal policymakers to decide if they want to shape these policy changes or stay on the sidelines."
Kilmer and coauthors note that there are many policy options between prohibition and legalizing production and sales by for-profit companies. They also caution that, if efforts to expand the non-clinical supply of psychedelics do not go well, then it could have a chilling effect on future research and potential therapeutic uses, such as in the treatment of mental health conditions.
Their report also contains several other insights--frequency of use for psychedelics relative to cannabis, and the importance of including Indigenous communities in the conversation, for example--that will be of interest to policymakers.
Read more: [link removed]
NATO Must Adapt to Climate Uncertainty
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, NATO has focused on expansion and bolstering its defenses. These priorities are important, but they may be overshadowing equally vital issues such as climate change. That's according to RAND Europe's Maria Chiara Aquilino and Sarah Winder. Climate considerations, they say, should be baked into the alliance's strategic direction, force structure planning, and capability design--in ways that turn the risks into opportunities. "A NATO that more deliberately incorporates climate change into its as-usual planning would stand a good chance of maintaining its capability edge in the future."
Read more: [link removed]
Analyzing Belarus-Russia Relations
A new RAND report takes a close look at the unique and complex relationship between Belarus and Russia. The authors identify key ways in which the two nations are aligned. For instance, they share history, language, and culture; their economies are intertwined; and both perceive the West and NATO as threats. Both countries are also led by highly personalist regimes with a nostalgic view of the Soviet Union. However, our researchers also emphasize that "this relationship is not one between equals, nor is it entirely harmonious." Belarus has found itself increasingly isolated and unable to push back against Russia.
Read more: [link removed]
** RAND Recommends
------------------------------------------------------------
- This week, the U.S. surgeon general declared gun violence a public health crisis. Following the announcement, Andrew Morral, RAND's Greenwald Family Chair in Gun Policy, spoke to the New York Times about the surge in interest in gun policy research in recent years.
[link removed]
- How can U.S. energy policies over the next four years support sustainability? The focus should be on things like job creation and health benefits, says RAND's Aimee Curtright. "Even if you aren't worried about the record heat this summer (which you should be), you should be interested in improved air quality and a future-proof economy."
[link removed]
- RAND's Zachary Wagner and Craig Fox of UCLA wrote about prescription opioid overdoses--which account for about one-fifth of all opioid-related deaths. Minimizing how often a surgery patient ends up with extra opioids could help address this crisis, they say.
[link removed]
** Events
------------------------------------------------------------
Pardee RAND Admissions Webinar: Master of National Security Policy Overview
Tuesday, July 9, 2024 (Online, with more dates available at the link above.)
[link removed]
Recent Trends Among the Unsheltered in Los Angeles
Wednesday, July 17, 2024 (Online)
[link removed]
Policy Lab: Reconstructing Ukraine
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 (Online)
[link removed]
** Follow RAND
------------------------------------------------------------
RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.
[link removed]
Connect with us on:
Twitter: [link removed]
Facebook: [link removed]
LinkedIn: [link removed]
Instagram: [link removed]
Privacy Policy: [link removed]
Unsubscribe to stop receiving these emails: [link removed]
Manage your subscriptions
[link removed]
RAND
1776 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
