Alaska Activists Launch Ballot Initiative to Legalize Psychedelics and Establish Regulated Access Program by 2026

Campaign Led by Natural Medicine Alaska Kicks Off Signature Drive to Qualify Psychedelic Reform for Statewide Vote

Activists in Alaska have taken the first official step in an ambitious effort to legalize the personal use, cultivation, and facilitated administration of natural psychedelics. The campaign, spearheaded by the advocacy group Natural Medicine Alaska, aims to place a measure on the 2026 state ballot that would authorize a regulated system for the use of certain entheogens, including psilocybin, mescaline, and DMT.

This week, the group began collecting initial signatures in Anchorage and Palmer to initiate the state’s multi-step initiative process. They must first gather 100 valid signatures from registered voters in order for the proposal to be reviewed by the lieutenant governor’s office. Once submitted, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom (R) will have 60 days to determine whether to approve the initiative for full signature collection.

If the campaign clears this preliminary hurdle, it will then need to collect thousands of additional signatures to qualify for inclusion on the 2026 general election ballot.

Proposed Measure Builds on Colorado’s Model While Adapting to Alaska’s Unique Needs

Though full text of the proposed measure has not yet been published on Natural Medicine Alaska’s website, campaign organizers have outlined key provisions in a publicly available policy summary. According to the document, the Alaska initiative draws inspiration from Colorado’s Natural Medicine Health Act, which was approved by voters in 2022 and under which the first legal dose of psilocybin was recently administered by a certified facilitator.

Alaska’s version would legalize the non-commercial use, cultivation, and gifting of certain plant-based psychedelics. Specifically, the measure covers DMT, non-peyote mescaline, psilocybin, and psilocin. The “grow, gather, gift” model allows adults to share psychedelics without engaging in retail sales, reflecting a broader movement within the psychedelic reform community to decriminalize access while avoiding full commercialization.

Initiative Calls for State-Regulated System and Licensed Facilitators for Supervised Psychedelic Use

Beyond personal use, the proposal would create a state-regulated framework that allows trained facilitators to administer natural psychedelics to adults in safe and supportive settings. Unlike more restrictive “healing center” models used in some jurisdictions, the Alaska plan would enable individual practitioners to provide psychedelic services in private offices or even at home, which is particularly critical in rural and remote parts of the state.

The initiative also includes a provision for certain medical professionals to prescribe and dispense microdoses of psychedelics to patients, expanding potential therapeutic uses beyond single-session facilitation models.

To maintain local economic integrity, the measure would require all participating businesses and facilities to be majority Alaska-owned, ensuring that financial benefits of legalization stay within state borders.

Traditional Healing Practices and Cultural Use Protected Under Legal Exemptions

Acknowledging Alaska’s diverse cultural and spiritual landscape, the initiative includes specific legal protections for traditional, spiritual, and ceremonial use of psychedelics by indigenous and other culturally affiliated practitioners. These legal exemptions aim to ensure that the new law supports, rather than criminalizes, longstanding entheogenic practices.

In the campaign’s February video announcement, organizers expressed a vision of empowerment, education, and transformation, highlighting their belief that legalization would help address unmet mental health needs across Alaska.

Ibogaine Excluded from Immediate Legalization But Included in Long-Term Regulated Access Framework

One notable exception to the list of legalized substances is ibogaine, a powerful psychedelic often used in the treatment of substance use disorders. While the initiative prohibits personal use of ibogaine, it does leave room for the future establishment of ibogaine treatment centers under professional supervision once the broader regulated access program is up and running.

Additionally, traditional uses of iboga by recognized practitioners would be protected under a separate exemption, in keeping with the measure’s emphasis on honoring spiritual and cultural traditions.

Additional Provisions Include Record Expungement, Professional Protections, and Emergency Responder Training

The proposed policy includes criminal justice reforms, such as the expungement and clearing of past convictions related to the personal use or possession of psychedelics now covered by the initiative.

It also offers professional protections for active-duty military members, law enforcement officers, and first responders who choose to use psychedelics under the initiative’s legal framework. In support of public safety, the measure would require the state to offer psychedelic crisis assessment and intervention training for first responders, helping them better address emotional or behavioral health emergencies involving entheogens.

In a nod to sustainability, the initiative backs the development of synthetic ibogaine alternatives, with the aim of protecting the natural supply from overharvesting.

Public Opinion in Alaska Suggests Growing Support for Psychedelic Policy Reform

Recent polling data indicates that psychedelic legalization is gaining traction among Alaskan voters. A survey conducted last year found that nearly 50 percent of adults support removing criminal penalties for the use of substances like psilocybin mushrooms. When respondents were informed about Alaska’s high rates of mental illness and the potential for psychedelics to provide relief, support jumped to approximately 65 percent.

This growing public backing, coupled with Alaska’s independent political culture, suggests a favorable climate for a successful ballot initiative in 2026.

State Has Already Taken Steps to Explore Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Policy

In 2023, Alaska lawmakers passed legislation to create a state task force charged with examining how to license and regulate psychedelic-assisted therapy. The bill took effect without a signature from Governor Mike Dunleavy (R), indicating a passive allowance for the policy to move forward.

This earlier legislative development may serve as a foundation for implementing the broader regulatory infrastructure that Natural Medicine Alaska’s ballot measure envisions.

National Landscape for Psychedelic Reform Continues to Evolve With Mixed State-Level Results

Alaska’s initiative comes amid a growing national conversation around psychedelic law reform. Voters in Oregon and Colorado have already approved regulated psychedelic therapy programs, with Oregon launching the country’s first legal psilocybin services in 2023.

In Oregon, accessibility could be expanded further following a recent federal court ruling in favor of homebound patients who had previously been denied access under location-based restrictions.

However, reform is not progressing uniformly. In Maine, lawmakers recently reversed course and rejected legislation to legalize the possession of small amounts of psilocybin for adults. Meanwhile, at the federal level, pressure continues to mount on the Drug Enforcement Administration to reschedule psilocybin to allow its use in palliative care for terminally ill patients.

Alaska Could Join Growing List of States Leading the Charge on Psychedelics Reform

As Alaska’s activists move forward with signature gathering and public education, the state may soon become a key player in the nationwide movement to redefine mental health treatment and personal freedom through psychedelics.

With its uniquely remote communities, deep indigenous traditions, and strong undercurrent of personal liberty, Alaska is well-positioned to develop a tailored, inclusive, and sustainable model for psychedelic access—one that could inspire future reform efforts across the country.

If the initiative qualifies for the 2026 ballot and wins majority support, it would mark a transformative milestone for psychedelic policy and broaden the horizon for mental wellness options in the state.