Introduction:
Psilocybin was made legal in Oregon in 2020 by a measure known as Measure 109. Although the precise date that establishments will start is still being determined, under the new law, residents of Oregon and visitors who are 21 years of age and older will have legal access to “magic” mushrooms in the state early the following year.
The regulatory organization responsible for formulating recommendations for psilocybin services in the state, the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board, finalized its suggestions for the program’s structure last month.
These suggestions do not constitute laws. These suggestions are a preliminary look at what the first psilocybin program in the US would entail; nevertheless, the Oregon Health Authority oversees setting up and regulating the new program. Oregon regulators were still working out the regulatory framework for the production and sale of fungi years later.
Benefits of Psilocybin as they become legal in Oregon on January 1st:
On January 1, Oregon became the first state in the country to legalize the adult use of psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic that has shown significant promise in the treatment of severe depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and end-of-life anxiety in the terminally ill, among other mental health conditions. Although scientists are still investigating their therapeutic mechanisms, psilocybin and other psychedelics are thought to promote neuroplasticity or brain rewiring that provides patients with new perspectives on long-standing psychiatric problems. One recent study on alcoholism discovered that two doses of psilocybin combined with talk therapy resulted in an 83 percent decrease in heavy drinking among participants, and nearly half of them had stopped drinking entirely by the end of the eight-month trial.
Measure 109:
Measure 109 authorized the establishment of psilocybin service centers where anyone over the age of 21 can consume the mushrooms in a supervised setting. One important requirement is that a state-certified facilitator be present during drug-induced journeys.
Unlike cannabis, which can be purchased at dispensaries, Oregon prohibits the retail sale of psilocybin; instead, it must be consumed at a licensed service center.
For proponents of drug reform, Oregon’s passage of Measure 109 is nothing short of revolutionary, a policy shift they hope will inspire other states and municipalities — and persuade federal authorities to relax long-standing prohibitions.
In 2020, Oregon voters made history by decisively voting to decriminalize the personal possession of small amounts of hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
Although psilocybin and other drugs are still illegal at the federal level, complicating the state’s hasty embrace of decriminalization, Oregon’s decision to rethink its relationship with mind-altering substances is already influencing other jurisdictions.
Colorado voters approve the ballot to remove psychedelics criminal penalties:
Colorado voters approved a ballot measure in November that eliminates criminal penalties for possessing certain psychedelics; similar ballot measures and reform legislation have been introduced in New York, Washington, and a dozen other states. Washington, D.C., Seattle, and several other American cities have also moved to decriminalize psilocybin in the last three years.
Scientific curiosity about psychedelics has reached the highest levels of government. In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration designated psilocybin as a “breakthrough therapy” for major depressive disorder, paving the way for clinical trials. Researchers expect full FDA approval in the next year or two. MDMA, or Ecstasy, is another drug with strong therapeutic potential that is likely to gain FDA approval for treating PTSD even sooner.
Psilocybin Licensing in Oregon:
Licensure is limited to Oregon residents until 2025. But the Fluence program largely chose applicants with previous experience in the field of mental health — social workers, hospice nurses, and psychiatrists.
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