It’s the season to be grateful, and we are filled with gratitude for the time we spent with some of you last Saturday. If you missed our “Looking Forward: the Psychedelic Future of Massachusetts” event - it was a truly spectacular gathering!

It was a moment to consider Open Circle Alliance’s origin story, and how it influences our choices in meeting the needs of this community - diverse in your roles, but united in your desire to shape a safe supportive psychedelic ecosystem. We reflected on the dark and the light of the election and shared what you can look forward to, even given Question 4’s defeat.

Most importantly, we broke bread together, strengthened existing connections, and made a bunch of new ones. All in all, we left feeling energized to build on this strong foundation we’ve co-created. Read on for a recap….

Honoring Our Beginnings as We Shape What’s Next

Last Saturday, November 9, we came together at Carrie Nation Cocktail Club in downtown Boston. This venue hosted the first gathering of advocates after the initial public hearing on what became Question 4, seeding the camaraderie and community that has emerged since then. Returning to this space with many of those same advocates truly brought Open Circle full circle.

We aimed to provide an outlet for election-generated feelings and to remind everyone that despite Question 4’s loss, opportunities for progress remain, with a community ready to support them. We reflected on the loss, but also on the strides made during the campaign to raise broad, statewide awareness about psychedelics for health and healing.

We also reflected on Open Circle Alliance’s accomplishments this year, sharing how ongoing conversations are shaping the concept of a safe, supportive psychedelic ecosystem: what it looks like, who it is for, its guiding principles, and what is needed to create and sustain it. Finally, we unveiled our organization’s plans for 2025 programming to keep pushing the needle forward.

Programming Preview: Support, Safety and Synergy

Since our inception seven months ago, we’ve prioritized building a broad and diverse network of psychedelic allies. Through these connections, we’ve identified opportunities to expand our work. While you’ll learn more about this programming in coming posts, here’s a preview of what to expect in 2025:

Community groups featuring tailored activities to address specific needs
Discussion and collaboration groups to enhance support for psychedelic practitioners
Promotion of high-quality, underutilized tools to increase psychedelic safety

Stay tuned for more details after the Thanksgiving holiday!