🍄 Should shrooms be legal?

It’s Thursday, Boston.

🦃 There are a lot of reasons to vote in this election. Brookline's “I voted” sticker with a turkey on it might be in the top three.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• The end of a tax saga

• Ballot question TEA

• The C’s strong start

Up first…

BALLOT QUESTIONS

To shroom or not to shroom?

Should some psychedelics be legalized in Mass.? That’s the ballot question du jour here at The B-Side.

Let’s jump in on Question 4:

❓ What’s Question 4 actually asking? Right now, psychedelic substances are illegal in Mass., but some communities have passed measures that direct law enforcement to not make arrests for possession. This question asks whether Mass. should allow folks over 21 to grow, use, and share limited amounts of five psychedelic substances, AND create and regulate a system of psychedelic therapy centers in the state.

👍 What a “yes” vote means: 

1. It would allow folks to home grow in a 12-by-12-foot space, use, and share a limited amount of  five psychedelic substances (as long as it isn’t advertised or sold): psilocybin, psilocin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline, and ibogaine. 

2. I would create psychedelic therapy centers across the state where folks could purchase and use the substances under supervision of licensed facilitators, and set regulations and sales taxes on the new industry.

3. It would create a new oversight body, the “Natural Psychedelic Substances Commission.”

👎 What a “no” vote means: Things would stay the same, and psychedelic substances would remain illegal. Though, FWIW, eight (and counting) communities have passed measures that “effectively decriminalize” them.

🔍 The research says … Psychedelics, especially psilocybin (a.k.a. magic mushrooms) can have positive effects on folks struggling with different kinds of mental distress, according to an impartial study by the Tufts Center for State Policy and Analysis. That said, ibogaine can cause major health events, including death. Psychedelic use can lead to anxiety, paranoia, and psychosis, especially for folks who have pre-existing mental health issues (though Colorado, where it’s legalized, hasn’t had a problem so far). Plus, the likely cost of treatment at the proposed centers (think: $1,000 a sesh) and their 2028 opening date will push many folks toward at-home usage and sharing.

💬 What other folks are saying … The primary “yes” campaign for this Q mostly points to the drugs’ proven therapeutic effectiveness. For the most part, folks on the “no” side don’t dispute those claims, and many even support legalizing psychedelics. But there’s disagreement on some of the specifics in this proposal, particularly the limited oversight over home-growing and sharing despite all of the regulations on therapy centers. The Globe’s editorial board calls that “the basic contradiction of Question 4.” But, FWIW, if it is passed, the legislature could tighten that oversight.

🎙️ Need more info? Here’s Boston.com’s guide to Question 4, and here’s a debate on the topic from GBH’s Boston Public Radio.

QUICK QUESTION

🗳️ Which way are you thinking of voting on Question 4?

TOGETHER WITH MFA BOSTON

Take a moment to marvel 

🖼️ 🏛️ Step away from the daily grind and dive into the art world! The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), is bringing together modern art legends Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore in a first-of-its-kind major exhibition. O'Keeffe’s stunning flower paintings meet Moore’s monumental sculptures, paired in a way that highlights how they both saw nature through a totally unique lens. The MFA is offering a rare chance to experience these masterpieces side by side — and trust us, you don't want to miss it! Grab your tickets now.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

💸 Mayor Michelle Wu’s property tax saga is (hopefully) nearing an end. ICYMI: Wu has long been campaigning to protect homeowners from a tax spike and maintain the city budget by raising commercial property taxes. And on Wednesday, she reached an agreement with the Boston Chamber of Commerce. The new proposal would raise commercial property taxes from 175% of the residential rate to 181.5% before incrementally dropping back down year-over-year. Now, she just needs the City Council’s and Beacon Hill’s OK.

☕ There’s some ballot question tea on Beacon Hill. You’ve spent the last week or so pouring over our ballot Q explainers (right?). Well, some Beacon Hill bigwigs have indicated that if they don’t like the results of Questions 1 and 2, they’ll seriously consider simply … changing them (yes, they can do that — and have before). That vibe is especially spicy coming on the heels of state auditor Diana DiZoglio (who proposed Q1), releasing a scathing review of the Legislature to give voters a taste of what an audit might look like. 

🚇 We have a glimmer of hope for Orange Line riders. MBTA GM Phillip Eng has done it again: Following part one of the Orange Line’s month of shutdowns, it’s officially down a whopping 20 slow zones, and up a few spiffy stations. So what? One year ago, the T had 228 restrictions and 26% of the system was speed-restricted. As of Wednesday, there are only 18 total slow zones, and 1% of the rail is restricted. Looking at the clear map is enough to make us shed a tear.

🗳️ Mass. ballot numbers so far are a major slay. As of Wednesday, three days into early voting, 14% of registered Mass. voters have already participated in the November election. According to the Secretary of State’s office, over 116,000 folks have voted in person, about 1.3 million residents have requested mail-in ballots, and another half million have submitted their mail-in ballots — a pretty darn good sign! If you’re none of those people, a gentle reminder that the deadline to register to vote is Saturday, and you can still vote early or request a mail-in ballot.

MEDIA SPONSORSHIP

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ONE LAST THING

The C’s strong start

The Celtics’ kick-off game against the Knicks was a movie. 

They got their rings, Joe Mazzulla kissed the floor (which tasted like … blood, apparently), and the 18th banner went up in TD (but not without a poorly timed commercial break cutting into the action) … and that was only the opening credits. 

For the main event, the C’s absolutely wiped the floor with their alleged biggest competition, beating the Knicks 132-109, and tying an NBA record of 29 threes made in a single game, despite not being able to bag one final shot to beat it. 

And by the end, the haters didn’t have much to say: Even the Knicks gave credit where credit is due, one of whom jokingly suggested that the NBA “drug test all of them.”

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🏀 Thanks for reading! The only downside to all of this? We’re never gonna get tickets. 

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, MFA Boston, for supporting local journalism and bringing culturally rich experiences to our city. 

🚗 The results are in: 60% of B-Siders are leaning “yes” on Question 3, with 29% leaning “no” and 10% “not sure.” One reader said: “Always side with the people who work for a living.”

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