One of the big takeaways from November’s elections is that psychedelics have finally gone mainstream. With the passage of Measure 109, Oregon became the first state in the nation to legalize psilocybin—the active ingredient in magic mushrooms—for therapeutic uses. That same day, voters in Washington, DC approved a ballot initiative decriminalizing mushrooms as well as psychedelics like peyote and ayahuasca. That comes just a year after similar decriminalization reforms in both Oakland, CA and Denver, CO.
It’s only a matter of time before recreational psychedelics become legal in states across the country, just as cannabis has in recent years. But even before that day arrives, the number of people who have tripped—and that find pleasure and meaning in the experience of tripping—is sure to grow.
As that happens, designers will face an intriguing new challenge. How can you explore the psychedelic experience through branding?
