Question 4 Health Professional Support Letter
We, the undersigned medical and mental health care professionals and researchers in related fields, express our support for Question 4, a citizen-initiated ballot measure in Massachusetts. This letter explains why we believe approval of Question 4 will benefit Massachusetts residents.
Question 4 would establish a regulated framework for licensed facilitators to provide psychedelic services to adults at approved locations and remove criminal penalties for the limited personal use of naturally-occurring psychedelics. The measure requires that the program include pre-screenings, facilitator training, and other guardrails to promote responsible use and to reduce safety risks. Implementation of the program would be guided by an advisory board composed of medical professionals and subject matter experts who will develop guidelines for public education and regulations for psychedelic therapy centers and licensed facilitators. The measure does not permit the retail sale of psychedelics for take-home use or allow use for people under 21 years of age.
The substances included in Question 4 show promise in improving mental health and quality of life for many people. Unlike alcohol, opioids, and many other drugs, natural psychedelics pose no risk of physiological dependence, and in fact they show potential for helping people overcome addiction to other substances.
Continuing to criminalize natural psychedelics does not promote public health. Rather, the possibility of criminal sanctions discourages patients from having open conversations with their health care providers and discourages consumers from seeking help if they have a serious adverse reaction or are harmed by an underground psychedelic facilitator.
Our views are aligned with the position of the American Medical Association, which supports alternatives to criminal penalties for personal substance use. In Massachusetts, eight municipalities encompassing over 390,000 residents have already approved policies to make the personal use of natural psychedelics the lowest law enforcement priority, and there is no evidence these local ordinances have harmed public health or safety.
Question 4 will establish infrastructure to promote safety and foster a better public understanding of the risks and potential benefits of psychedelics. For these reasons, we hope the voters of Massachusetts will approve Question 4 and adopt a public health-focused approach to natural psychedelic substances.
Signed,
Kwasi Adusei, DNP (CA)
Sunil Aggarwal, MD, PhD, FAAPMR, FAAHPM (WA)
Tunde Aideyan, PhD (MA)
Laura Aikens, PMHNP-BC (NY)
Saed Al-Olimat, PharmD (PA)
Shannon Albarelli, Psy.D. (MA)
Brian Anderson, MD, MSc (CA)
Bonnie Arzuaga, MD (MA)
German Ascani, MS, MD, board certified psychiatrist (CO)
Kaitlyn Ayers, RN (MA)
Naomi Azar, PhD (MA)
Natalie Ball, APRN, FNP-BC (MA)
Elizabeth Barch, PsyD (MA)
Claudia Barfoot, LMHC, LPC (CO)
Alanna Barnes, LMHC (MA)
Rick Barnett, PsyD (VT)
Emma Barton, MA, LMHC, BC-DMT, FMCHC, E-RYT, (MA)
Tamara Battis-Lee, LCSW (MA)
Yvan Beaussant, MD, MSc (MA)
John Beland, LICSW (MA)
Ashley Bentzel, M.A. (MD)
Patricia Bergstedt, RN (NJ)
Caitlin Bernhard, MSN, FNP (MA)
April Berry-Fletcher, LICSW, PhD (MA)
Matthew Biffen, Paramedic (PA)
Brittany Bilotti, RN (LA)
Jennifer Black, MD (VT)
Christina Blake, LMSW (TX)
Andrew Boland, PhD (MA)
Jana Bolduan Lomax, PsyD (CO)
Robert Bonazoli, LICSW (MA)
Laurie Boscaro, LPC (CO)
Chase Bourbon, CMA (MA)
Christina Braddock, APRN (HI)
Melissa Brough, PhD (VT)
Karen Brouhard, LICSW (MA)
Rodney Brown, Certified Psychedelic Integration Coach (CA)
James Buchanan, LPCC (CO)
Julie Buchinski, LICSW (MA)
Kimberly Bulava, PsyD (SD)
Carolyn Burke, LMFT (MA)
Colby Burns, PharmD (WA)
Elizabeth Butler, PsyD (CA)
Laura Camilo, MSW, LCSW (NC)
Nova Carmichael, LMHC (MA)
Nadia Carter, NP (MA)
Patricia Carter, LICSW (MA)
Cat Cavero, LVN (CA)
Alyssa Cloutier, MSW, LCSW (MA)
Mary Kate Coppedge, PMHNP (OR)
Mary Cosimano, LMSW (MD)
Erica Cowan, RN, NC-BC (CO)
Kristy Crabtree, LPC (AZ)
Charlene Craig, CHES (MA)
Lance Cutsforth, DASc, BCDFM (CO)
Lia DAngelo, RN (MA)
Mandy Datro, LICSW (MA)
Jennifer DeLorenzo, LICSW (MA)
Athena Desai, MAOM, Dipl OM, Lic Ac (MA)
Aaron Deterding, Chinese Medicine Student (CO)
Karen Diao, RN (NY)
Candace Dickinson, LMHC (MA)
Maria Donaty-Gurba, LCSW, LCAS, RN (NC)
Erin Doolittle, MA MFT (CT)
Caroline Dorsen, PHD, RN (NY)
Lisa Dorval, LICSW (MA)
Alyssa Draffin, MSW, LCSW (NC)
Elizabeth Driscoll, PhD (MA)
Rachael Duda, LMHC (MA)
Jess Dugan, MA in Counseling Candidate (LPCC ‘25) (CO)
Alison Dwyer, APRN-BC (MA)
Brian E McGeeney, MD, MPH, MBA (MA)
Regina Eastman, LCMHC, Certified Psychedelic Facilitator (NH)
John Eckelman, PhD Clinical Psychologist (MA)
Jessica Edwards, MSW, DSW, LICSW (MA)
Jennifer Egloff, LCSW (CO)
Vassily Eliopoulos, MD (CO)
Shira Ellenberg Blanton, MSN, RN, CCRN (IL)
Amy Eller, PhD (MT)
Rachel Epstein, PsyD (MA)
Fernando Espi Forcen, MD, PhD, psychiatrist (MA)
Samuel Evans, LMSW (CT)
Karolin Falk, MA (NY)
Cindy Faria, LICSW (MA)
Nima Fayazmanesh, MD (CA)
Olivia Finnegan, LICSW (MA)
Katherine Fischer, PsyD (MA)
Courtney Fitzgerald, LMHC (MA)
Jessica Fitzmaurice, RN (AR)
John Fitzpatrick, DVM (CA)
Taylor Flatt, RN, PMHNP (OH)
Judith Flynn, LMHC (MA)
April Forand, RN (NH)
Mary Fortunato, LMHC (MA)
MIchael Fratkin, MD, FAAHPM (CA)
Susan Frederick, MD (CO)
Janna Frelich, MT-BC, LMHC (MA)
Maria Freytsis, BSN, CNM, MPH (MA)
Annette Furst, MD (MA)
Scott Gagel, PA-C (IN)
Reagan Gagnon, PA-C (MA)
Michael Geci, MD (NY)
Sarko Gergerian, MS, MA, MHC, CARC, RCP, RCPF (MA)
Elle Gill, LCSW-A, MSW (NC)
Lianne Gillooly, Certified Death Doula (NY)
Donna Gilman, PsyD (MA)
Deborah Giniewicz, RN (MA)
Rebecca Girard, MSW, LICSW (MA)
Marcia Glass, MD (CA)
Marushka Glissen, LICSW (MA)
Melissa Glynn-Hyman, LICSW (MA)
Veronika Gold, LMFT (CA)
Matthew Goldfinger, DO MSc (MA)
George Henry Grant, MDiv, PhD (GA)
George Greer, MD (NM)
Peter Grinspoon, M.D. (MA)
Charles Grob, MD (CA)
Anthony Gross, CNP, RN (MA)
Francis Guerriero, MA, MSW, LICSW (MA)
Sharon Guidaboni, RN (MA)
Tara Gupta, PhD (PA)
Audrey Hall, PMHNP-BC (MA)
Teresa Haly, APRN (MA)
Rachel Hartstein, Lic.Ac. (MA)
Lawrence Hauser, MD (TX)
Benjamin Hawes, L.Ac (CO)
Marcia Head, LICSW (MA)
Patricia Hertz, LICSW (MA)
Sam Himelstein, PhD (CA)
Elise Hoblitzelle, LMHC (MA)
Selma Holden, MD, MPH, MS (Mass License: 254276) (ME)
Julie Holland, MD (NY)
Heather Honstein, RN, PMHNP (VA)
James Hopper, PhD (MA)
Timothy Huber, PhD, LMHC (MA)
Shannon Hughes, MSW, PhD, LSW (CO)
Kerri Husman, MD (IA)
April Huynh, PharmD (MA)
Gwen Ingram-Jones, LMFT (WA)
Lindsay Jensen-Evans, LMFT (HI)
Edith Johns, LICSW (MA)
Matthew Johnson, PhD (MD)
Emily Johnson, RN (MA)
Rebecca Jones, PhD, PMHNP-BC, RN (CT)
Lee Parker Jones, LICSW (MA)
Stephanie Karzon Abrams, MSc Clinical Pharmacologist (CA)
Heidi Kelleher, PMHNP-BC (MA)
Hannes Kettner, MSc (CA)
Hilary Kiley, CPS (MA)
Mayer Kirkpatrick, L.AC. (MA)
Rebecca Koch, LMHC (MA)
Stacey Kohler, LICSW (MA)
Jason Konner, MD (NJ)
Vince Kozica, Board Certified Health Coach (MA)
Eric Krawczyk, LMHC (MA)
Michael Krosin, MD (CA)
Emily Kulpa, PharmD (OR)
Jayme Kurland, LICSW (MA)
Andrew Lapin, LMHC (MA)
Gaetano Lardieri, LMT (NJ)
Gaetano Lardieri, LMT (NJ)
Dawn Larson, Registered Psychotherapist (MS) (CO)
An-Nhien Le, MSN, RN, CPN, PMHNP-BC (CA)
Rebecca Leach, RN (MA)
Amy Leek, LMHC (MA)
Dori Lewis, LPC, LMHC (CO)
Andrea Lithgow, Trauma recovery life coach, MFA (NC)
Stephanie Loconte, RN (MA)
Lou Lukas, MD (NE)
Christopher Luongo-Zink, LMHC (MA)
Leslie H. MacCardell, Ph.D., M.P. (MA)
Dan MacCombie, MA, LAC (NY)
Rachael Macknight, LMHC (MA)
Ashley Mahoney, LMHC (MA)
Benjamin Malcolm, PharmD, MPH (OR)
William Maronn, LCSW (MA)
Brandon Marshall, PhD (RI)
Susan Martinson, NP (MA)
Wendy Marussich, RN, PMHNP, PhD (CA)
Clare McBee, LICSW (MA)
Robin McKeon, PT (MA)
Hannah McLane, MD, MA, MPH (PA)
Salimah Meghani, PhD (PA)
Nicky Mehtani, MD, MPH (CA)
Margot Meitner, LICSW and ordained Rabbi (MA)
Dara Menashi, PhD (MA)
Erica Messinger, DNP Student – Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, BSN, RN (CO)
Jennifer Meyer, PSM, MLS (NC)
Maria Micha, MSc Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CA)
Nathaniel Mills, Ph.D. (CA)
Dan Morley, CPS (Certified Peer Specialist) (MA)
Christopher Morrison, LPC (MA)
Sarah Morse, LMFT (MA)
Lynn Marie Morski, MD, JD (CA)
Marianne Moskowitz, LMHC (MA)
Daniel Mossman, LMHC (MA)
Victoria Murra, MA (TX)
Nancy Nagle, MD (OK)
Vilmarie Narloch, PsyD (IL)
Kirsten Newman, LMHC (MA)
Roxanne Nichols, Doctor of Acupuncture (DAc) (MA)
Nicholas Nowak, PharmD, BCPS (SC)
Kelly O’Connor, DACM (MA)
Lola Ohonba, PHARM.D (FL)
Thomas O’Keefe II, RN (MA)
Michou Olivera, Psychedelic Facilitator, Researcher (MA)
Anita Pandolfe Ruchman, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (MA)
Barbara Parrish, LCSW (PA)
Aneel Paulus, MD (FL)
Marlo Pedroso, LICSW (MA)
Terence Penn, PhD (MD)
Seana Peterson, LICSW (MA)
Laura Pilitsis, MAOM, L.Ac (MA)
Diane Pohl, RN (MA)
Roger Pottanat, MD (MA)
Bruce Poulter, RN, MPH (CO)
Jana Pressley, Psy.D (MA)
Robert Purdy, LMHC (MA)
John Ragno, LMHC (MA)
Marie Rahme, CRNA (RI)
Rachel Rahn, MSW, LICSW, CADC II (MA)
Bhavya Rajanna, MD (MA)
Holly Randall, DNP (MA)
David Raniere, PhD (MA)
Alicia Reed, MSW student (NC)
Lindley Reynolds, LCSW (NC)
William Richards, STM, PhD (MD)
Lisa Rines-Toth, LMHC (MA)
Erin Rioux, LICSW (MA)
Mark Robbins, MD (MA)
Stephen Roberts, MD (MA)
Marisa Roberts, MD (MA)
Robin Garjian Robin Garjian, LMSW (MA)
Edna Rodriguez, PsyD (MA)
Christine Rodriguez, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, MDiv, MA, FNYAM (CT)
Kristina Marie Rodriguez, RN-BSN (HI)
Christy Roman, LMHC (MA)
Dan Ronken, LPC, LAC (CO)
Larry Rosenberg, PhD (MA)
Sarah Rossmassler, APRN, DNP (MA)
Heather Ruemenapp, LICSW (MA)
Zachary Sager, MD (MA)
Crystal Salas, PMHNP-BC (TX)
Bianca Santomasso, MD, PhD (NY)
Guy Sapirstein, PhD (MA)
Wilderness Sarchild, LMHC, M.A. (MA)
Gabriella Savitz, RN (MA)
Jennifer Schneider, LICSW (MA)
Meaghan Serra, PA (MA)
Robin Sessa, MAOM, DACM. LAc (MA)
Alan Shackelford, M.D. (CO)
Scott Shannon, MD, FAACAP (CO)
Valerie Sharpe, MD (MA)
Kerry Shea, DO (CO)
Katrina Shepard, LICSW (MA)
Sara Shewchuk, LMHC (MA)
Roxanne Sholevar, MD (MA)
Alexis Silver, MSW, LICSW (MA)
Esther Silverman, LICSW (MA)
Ashley Sitkin, LICSW (MA)
Zachary Skiles, PsyD (WA)
Clarice Snell Baumgartner, MD (CO)
Kaitlyn Sobiech, MPH Student (MA)
Kristin Speer, PharmD, Pharmacist, Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (CO)
C.J. Spotswood, PMHNP (ME)
Anne St Goar, MD (MA)
Jeff Steel, D.Div., MS (MN)
Matt Stella, LICSW (MA)
Mackenzie Stinehart, PharmD (MA)
Meg Striepe, PhD (MA)
Lori Strolin, LICSW (MA)
Brooke T, RN (NJ)
Burton Tabaac, MD (NV)
Cynthia Tavilla, Psy.D. (MA)
Adam Taylor, RN (MA)
Katy Taylor, CRNA (VT)
Anad Thomas, CRNA (RI)
Kelan Thomas, PharmD, MS, BCPP (CA)
Scott Thompson, PhD (CO)
Alexander Tracanna, Rehabilitation Aide (MA)
Raymond Turpin, M.A., Psy.D. (NC)
Marlee Tyska, MSW, LICSW (MA)
Erin Vahratian, LMHC (MA)
Emily Vallario, PharmD (MA)
Bessel van der Kolk, MD. (MA)
Joseph W Van Derveer III, MD (CO)
Koene Van Dijk, PhD (MA)
Ranji Varghese, MD (MN)
Michaela Vogt, LPC, LAC (CO)
Karolina Walsh, LMHC (MA)
Patrick Wanis, PhD (FL)
Laura Warren, MD (MA)
Robert Warren, MD (MA)
Brianna Wasson, RN (OR)
Kenneth Weingardt, MS, PhD (CO)
Nicole White, PMHNP (MA)
Gary Whited, Ph.D. (MA)
Elizabeth Willems, PsyD (MA)
Angela Winslow, LMHC (MA)
Missi Wooldridge, MPH (NY)
David Wright, MD (NC)
Gregory Wylie, M.ED, BCBA, LABA (MA)
Michael Young, Mdiv Certificate in CAM (MA)
Anna Yusim, MD (CT)
Matt Zemon, MSc (NC)
Jennifer Zuckerman, RN, FNP (FL)