Recently, Colorado made headlines for legalizing the use of psilocybin, a powerful psychoactive substance found in certain types of mushrooms. This move has significant implications for the state’s drug policy and may signal a shift in how people view the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes.
What Does Psilocybin Legalization Mean?
The legalization of psilocybin in Colorado means that individuals who are 21 years or older can now legally possess and consume the substance. Additionally, the cultivation of psychedelic mushrooms and certain other plants or fungi will be permitted, given it’s done in a private residence and away from minors.
Moreover, the revised law will allow for the transportation, processing, and gifting of these substances to others for “personal use”, as long as no payment is involved. These regulations are aimed at providing individuals with safe and controlled environments to use these substances for therapeutic purposes, paving the way for more integrative approaches to healthcare.
What’s Next?
Colorado’s new laws also will pave the way for the creation of “healing centers,” where individuals can use psilocybin and psilocin under the supervision of experts in a supervised environment. However, it will probably take more than a year for these businesses to become operational.
At the end of January, Governor Polis appointed a “Natural Medicine Advisory Board” consisting of professionals in various fields such as medicine, mycology, public health, insurance, religion, and criminal justice reform. The Department of Regulatory Agencies will work with this group to create guidelines for the training, education, and qualifications of the “facilitators” who will run the centers by January 1, 2024. After that, the department will set further rules for the centers and begin accepting applications from facilitators by September 30, 2024. Initially, the centers will only be allowed to offer psilocybin and psilocyn, not other substances being decriminalized. it is important that providers know how to microdose mushrooms safely for therapeutic purposes.
The healing centers will provide patients with a safe, controlled environment to use natural medicines – a significant step in the direction of expanding access to alternative treatments.