SSDP to hold psychedelic drug information meeting

Caitlin Restelli

SSDP member Gary Enos said he wants other students to see that psychedelic drugs can be beneficial for society, rather than just harmful.

Students For Sensible Drug Policy is holding a presentation on psychedelic drugs within the medical community Monday at 7 p.m. in Room 306 of the Student Center.

Enos described a psychedelic drug as a substance that alters the perception of the mind.

“It’s really like a magnifying glass over everything you do, everything gets enhanced,” said Enos, freshman psychology major. “Everything has more color, more taste, more sound. There’s more meaning to it. There’s deeper levels of understanding.”

SSDP will address five substances: LSD, mushrooms, salvia, ibogaine and MDMA (ecstasy) and its uses within the medical community.

“I think it’s relatively interesting. Last year when we did the ‘Let’s Talk About Drugs’ psychedelics presentation, we had a pretty good turn out for that,” said David Goldshtein, SSDP member and junior political science major. “So I think a lot of kids are interested in it.”

Psychedelic drugs are seen as a negative aspect in society since childhood, Enos said. Medical communities are now testing these substances to cure addiction, help post-traumatic stress disorder, help with counseling and more.

“The reason we want people to know this is because this is the generation of people that is going to grow up and become that driving force that has all of those influences on the medical community,” Enos said. “To get the information out there is the best way, it’s like planting a seed and hopefully it will grow.”

Contact Caitlin Restelli at [email protected].