What Will Psilocybin Therapy Look Like in Oregon?
By Brandon Davis
In Nov. 2020 Oregon residents voted to pass Measure 109, Oregon Psilocybin Services Act, allowing psilocybin service centers and psilocybin mushroom manufacturing. Oregon Health Authority (OHA), along with recommendations from the OregonPsilocybin Advisory Board, has spent the last two years developing a framework for the program. OHA will begin accepting applications for service centers, facilitators, cultivation and laboratory licenses starting Jan. 2 2023,. It’s important to remember that even though Oregon has voted in favor of psilocybin services, some cities and counties have voted to opt out of having these services.
What is psilocybin? Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms,” are a type of psychedelic containing fungi that have been around for thousands of years. Some of the earliest evidence of psychedelic mushrooms depicted in amural can be traced back to Northern Australia, the mural depicts mushrooms and psychedelic illustrations, these depictions are estimated to date back to 10,000 BCE. Mayan and Aztec people have referred to psilocybin mushrooms as “flesh of the gods.”These mushrooms have been used for spiritual ceremonies, divine insight, healing, and celebrations in many cultures and religions throughout history.
What does this mean for Oregon? This will allow citizens, 21 and older who have been Oregon residents for the past two consecutive years, to apply for any of these licenses. Oregon is also putting a two-year moratorium on licenses to non-Oregon residents. Although non-residents can’t apply for licenses until 2025 they can still receive psilocybin assisted therapy as long as they’re at least 21 and older. The mushrooms used in this therapy will be grown indoors and be tested for potency and contaminations before they are transported to service centers. This form of therapy has been studied by medical professionals and the results suggest that it can be used to treat depression, PTSD, end of life care, and may help eliminate drug addiction.
This therapy has three parts: preparation, facilitation and integration. First a patient must contact a service center and set up apreparation session. In this session licensed facilitators go over patient needs, clients Bill of Rights, transportation and aftercare, and explain common effects of psilocybin mushrooms. Next, patients visit a service center for their facilitation session where they consume psilocybin mushrooms with a licensed facilitator present. In the facilitation session “Set and Setting” play a large part. Some service centers might offer an outdoor session to help patients be more connected with nature. Other centers might have a calming indoor setting with gentle music and a bed to help patients have a comfortable experience. Once both the facilitator and patient agree that the effects of psilocybin have finished then the clients can call their designated driver to be picked up. Lastly, we have the integration session. In this step clients can visit their facilitator for optional aftercare where theycan express how they have been feeling after their psilocybin journey. For many people psilocybin assisted therapy can be life changing so it’s important to have these integration sessions to help patients handle new changes they may experience.
Oregon is the first state to legalize these natural mushrooms and apply them to a medical model; making this very exciting to see how this form of therapy will change lives. It’s expected that many tourists will flock to Oregon for a chance to try this life changing therapy.