Over the past few years, access to mushrooms containing psilocybin has become much easier in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. There are now four dispensaries that sell psilocybin mushrooms in the city, including two locations downtown, one located on Commercial Drive, and one located on the Downtown Eastside. The prevalence of these dispensaries has made it
The outlook for psychedelics legalization in Washington State, and specifically psilocybin legalization, looks promising and continues to evolve at a rapid pace. The Spokane Bar Association recently held a seminar on emerging issues in the Washington psychedelic ecosystem. In October, Seattle became the largest in the United States to decriminalize psychedelics. As the second largest
In this post, we’ll discuss Oregon psilocybin facilitator exam recommendations to date under Measure 109. Competency exams are common for professions such as therapists, public school teachers and nurses. For instance, every state has a Nurse Practice Act to protect public safety by requiring nurses to pass a certification exam prior to practicing as a
When a person ingests psilocybin, in any form, the effects can be unpredictable. Some people will feel no different than normal. Others find themselves in a state of emotional reflection, ranging from light to deep introspection. Yet some experience moments of fear, anxiety, or reliving past trauma. How may a facilitator assist a person experiencing
The Oregon Psilocybin Licensing Subcommittee meeting on February 3, 2022 dove into religions that use psilocybin, and how Oregon’s Measure 109 would protect and regulate such religions and religious practices. Rather than discussing recommendations and licensing regulations, the Subcommittee allowed two guest speakers to present on religious psychedelic practices. Psychedelic Religious Practices: Pastor Bob Otis
Want to use psychedelics for religious purposes in the U.S.? The government should let you, but it’s not going to make it easy. In 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for religious exemptions to the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) for illegal psychedelics. Since then, only a few groups have been granted such exemptions
You’ve probably heard of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), which provides certain tax exemptions for qualifying charitable organizations. You also probably know that there are many psychedelic religious groups worldwide. The question I want to answer today is “can psychedelic religions obtain 501(c)(3) status?” What is 501(c)(3) status and how do religions
In late January, the Oregon state legislature filed a pre-session, psilocybin social equity bill to supplement the state’s groundbreaking Measure 109 program. That legislation is new Senate Bill 1580, sponsored by ten Democratic state lawmakers. Its first public hearing was yesterday and it goes to Senate work session tomorrow. Oregon’s New Legal Psilocybin Program This
Measure 109 covered psilocybin testing standards in some detail. It also directed the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to adopt rules on this topic. I’ll cover the unreleased, first draft of those rules today. They begin at OAR 333-333-7010. As I wrote in parts one and two of this series (training; products) it’s important to remember that
Oregon’s Measure 109 left much to do with “psilocybin products” to the administrative rulemaking process. Measure 109 defined “psilocybin products” as: “(A) psilocybin-producing fungi and (B) mixtures of substances containing a detectable amount of psilocybin.” Pretty simple. Beyond that, the measure directed the Oregon Health Authority to “establish a regulatory framework concerning psilocybin products.” This
