In Hawaii, the surfing capital of the United States, psilocybin and psychedelic-assisted therapy are quickly becoming the talk of the island, the kama’aina, or people of the land, are turning their sights to the rapidly expanding therapeutic potential of these medicines.
Of course, this comes as no surprise. Americans around the country are tuning into the plethora of emerging research in support of these therapies. In the U.S., mental illness has become somewhat of an epidemic, with traditional pharmaceuticals taking a backseat as their side effects become more and more relentless.
Today we’ll be discussing the legislative climate of psychedelics and their applied therapeutic potential within the volcano-coasted state of Hawaii. We’ll address the measures being taken to advance the legalization of psychedelic drugs and outline current information on what’s to be expected for future legislative action.
We’ll also be reviewing the options already available within the state for embarking on a therapeutic psychedelic journey in a safe and productive space. Then we’ll look over the activist efforts that the kama’aina are taking to further psychedelic education within the island.
The Current Legislation of Psychedelics in Hawaii
Oftentimes, the cannabis regulations of a state can offer insight into state officials’ prospective support of psychedelic-assisted therapy. In Hawaii, medical marijuana has been legalized and possession of three grams of marijuana has been decriminalized. Though recreational use still remains illegal.
However, marijuana legalization efforts are moving forward, with pending House Bill 2264 which would legalize recreational use amongst adults aged 18 or over. Is this a good indicator for the trajectory of psychedelic legalization? Yes and no.
As of right now, psychedelics are still illegal in the state of Hawaii. They fall under a Schedule I classification. Drugs under this schedule qualify as having high potential for abuse and are perceived to have no medical use.
As with most other states, psilocybin spores are completely legal to possess in Hawaii. However, one crucial consideration should be taken. Once the spores are germinated and psilocin, the active metabolite of psilocybin, starts to become present in the fruiting body, it becomes illegal to possess.
Penalties for possession, cultivation, and sale of psychedelics within the state are highly dependent on the amount one is caught possessing. Though baseline consequences would involve felony charges with 1 to 25 years of incarceration.
So what can we expect for the future of these therapies within the state? It might excite you to hear that Hawaii is one of the handful of states making active efforts to become involved in the research and application of psilocybin-assisted therapy.
In March of 2022, the Hawaii state senate unanimously approved a psilocybin task force bill which establishes a workgroup whose focus is not only to research the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, but also to create workable state regulations and medical standards for psychedelic therapy procedures.
The prospect of psilocybin decriminalization and medical legalization is incredibly encouraging, especially since Hawaii unfortunately has a shortage of mental health professionals, meaning the state’s residents would greatly benefit from novel and alternative therapies.
It may be useful to note that psilocybin grows naturally in Hawaii. The climate conditions are a recipe for magic mushroom success on the island. The most abundant species that can be found in Hawaii are Psilocybe cubensis, Panaelous bisporus, Panaeolus cambodginiensis, and Panaeolus cinctulus.
The Therapeutic Benefits of a Psychedelic Experience
Psychedelics have been scientifically proven to be effective treatments for many health conditions, including cluster headaches and migraines, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. How exactly do these medicines work to reduce the symptoms of such disorders? Let’s explore this from a subjective perspective.
Picture your mind as a snow-covered field of snow. Over the years, our socially conditioned habits, ways of being, and thinking patterns have paved pathways in the snow which we traverse back and forth on a regular basis.
A bird’s eye point of view shows us this set of carved trajectories where the once-powdered snow has been pressed and flattened. Surrounding these paths are also large sections of untouched snow, with the potential for creating new pathways to unexplored mental territories.
Now, let’s explore this illustration from a neurological perspective. Psychedelics have been proven to stimulate neurogenesis, or the production of new neurons. This in turn, strengthens neural connection throughout the brain and creates new neural pathways.
Psychedelics have also been proven to reduce default mode network (DMN) activity in the brain. The DMN is responsible for the ego-centered, “I” perspective that we observe life from in our day-to-day life. It’s the personhood of our personality and keeps ruminating thoughts in circulation, essentially making the DMN representative of the radio station that our minds are regularly tuned into.
In people with depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and ADHD, the DMN is overactive. This makes sense considering that the pillars of these conditions involved hyper rumination often associated with negative narrations of the self.
When DMN activity is reduced, our brains create new neural pathways to essentially fortify or maintain this reduction post-psychedelic trip. Subjectively, this reduction is often experienced as a temporary dissolution of the ego, or the “I”-ness of our human experience.
The thinking mind takes a back seat and we’re able to explore our mental complexes from more empathetic and less rigid points of view. From a psychological perspective, the creation of neural pathways is quite literally the product of adopting new mental perspectives, new beliefs, and in essence, new ways of association with ourselves and with our outer environments.
Thus, in a psychedelic experience, we have the ability to explore afflicting matters within our lives with enhanced psychological openness because our neural connections are being strengthened. When we’re exposed to such new ways of perceiving, these beliefs become ingrained into our physical brains as new neural pathways.
In our example of the snow-covered mind, this psychological and neurological process would represent not only the carving of new paths and routes throughout the untouched portions of this snowy field, but it would also symbolize the event of a fresh snowfall.
This snowfall fills in the gaps of our old mental narratives/ paths, and allows us to permanently reroute our thoughts, perspectives and thus, life trajectories toward less rigid forms of being.
Where To Find Legal Psychedelic Experiences in Hawaii 2022
Now, the portion of this article that I’m sure we’ve all been waiting for. What are your options for embarking on a safe, therapeutic psychedelic experience in the state of Hawaii? Well as of right now, there exists two choices: ketamine clinics and guided psychedelic journeys with Psychedelic Passage.
1. Ketamine Clinics
Ketamine-infusion therapy is an emerging treatment for PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. It’s important to note however, ketamine is not a traditional psychedelic. It’s an anesthetic that has been used in operating rooms across the country since the 1960s.
Researchers began to find that under the guise of ketamine, patients would have out-of-body experiences, which makes sense since the drug is classified as a dissociative substance. Many feel that this treatment has served as a tool in their healing journey.
Since the effects of ketamine involve a feeling of observing oneself from outside of one’s body, the experience allows you to reflect on the issues in your life with more objectivity and less emotional pain. It allows us to observe ourselves as a vessel of life that, like all others, are simply trying their best to move through this world with grace and love.
This provokes feelings of empathy for oneself and in turn, allows us to have a certain compassion for our circumstances which can jumpstart the longer journey of learning how to find acceptance and inner peace even in times of disorder and hurt.
As we always like to note, not all ketamine clinics are made equal. This means that not every ketamine clinic has established protocols which offer the adequate support needed before, during, and after a ketamine experience. Also make certain that the clinic staff is composed of qualified psychedelic facilitators.
If you’re trying to find a ketamine clinic near you, conduct research on the type of support offered at the center and ensure that you’ll be receiving a level of care that’s conducive to your personal development and self actualization.
2. Guided Psychedelic Journeys With Psychedelic Passage
If ketamine isn’t the medicine or the only medicine you’re looking to work with, having a therapeutic psychedelic experience with us, Psychedelic Passage, may be of interest to you. Here, at Psychedelic Passage, we understand how difficult it can be to find a trusted psychedelic specialist.
That’s exactly why we’ve made it our mission to curate a trusted network of the top psychedelic facilitators in the nation, so that you no longer have to guess who’s legitimate and who isn’t. Our priority is to provide equal access to these life changing treatments.
Some of the ways in which we do so is through our BIPOC and low income fund. Through your donations and through our income-based pricing, we’re able to help communities of color heal with psychedelic medicines by subsiding the costs of our program.
Speaking of our program, you can rest assured that any journey with Psychedelic Passage will ensure your complete autonomy every step of the way. Through preparation sessions, in ceremony, and through integration, you’re guaranteed the ability to decide exactly how your experience will look like.
In fact, we believe that journeyers have a right to experience these potent medicines from the comfort and familiarity of their own home, and that’s exactly what our program offers.
Find Your Next Psychedelic Journey In Any Major Hawaii City
- Honolulu
- East Honolulu
- Pearl City
- Waipahu
- Hilo
- Kailua
- Kaneohe
- Kahului
- Mililani Town
- Ewa Gentry
- Kapolei
- Kihei
- Kailua
- Mililani Mauka
- Makakilo
Psychedelic Culture in Hawaii
Founded in 2019, the Clarity Project is composed of Hawaiian doctors, advocates, researchers, and therapists who are working together to promote the decriminalization of psilocybin within the state, nation, and around the globe.
This movement emphasizes the destigmatization of psychedelics by providing public education on current research developments. They also make active efforts to provide information on harm reduction, legislative education, and psychedelic-assisted therapy resources.
Another group advocating for decriminalization is the Maui Psychedelic Society. Founded in 2020, this group with over 470 followers, uses the platform to create a safe space for the kama’aina to discuss psychedelic news, research, and harm reduction practices.
Explore How It Feels To Be Connected
If you’re looking to explore a therapeutic psychedelic experience, but don’t know where to start, we encourage you to book a consultation with us. There’s few things more important to our daily lives than our mental well being, and your healing journey is our top priority.
For more informative articles like this one, check out our resources page to learn more about all-things-psychedelic. Well, our fellow Hawaiian psychonauts, that’s all we have for today. Safe journeying!
