BOSTON (SHNS) – Army combat veteran CJ LoConte credits psilocybin, a psychedelic substance found in “magic mushrooms,” for making him a better husband and father.
A doctor first recommended that LoConte, a Duxbury native who said he witnessed multiple soldiers attempt suicide while deployed to the Middle East, try psychedelics when he found himself hospitalized for suicidal ideation. LoConte said he had reached the “lowest point” in his life, after battling mental health issues including having nightmares, drinking, lashing out at others, and feeling numb despite seeking help through the VA.
Psilocybin also saved his life, LoConte said Thursday at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Boston Common, where veterans gathered to talk about their support of a ballot question that would decriminalize certain types and small quantities of psychedelic substances. The measure would establish licensed facilities where people could buy and take the drugs under supervision, and Bay Staters would also be permitted to grow and use them at home.