Reflecting on a Year of Progress
Dear supporter,
As the holiday season ramps up this week, I’m taking a moment to look back and tally up all the progress we’ve made. Three years ago, Oregon passed Ballot Measure 109, paving the way for the first state-regulated psilocybin therapy program in the country. Just one year ago, Colorado followed on passing Proposition 122. Three years ago, I never thought I’d say that by this point, six months into a fully operational program in Oregon, over 500 clients have received access to psilocybin therapy. Every day, our small but mighty community of service centers adds to that number, and importantly, more folks gain access to this important tool for healing.
Colorado is well on its way to building an improved program – with key takeaways from Oregon, the Natural Medicines Advisory Board is on track to increase training hours for facilitators, and to incorporate aggregate data collection to continue to improve safety and research.
The psilocybin therapy movement is gaining mainstream attention, and new states are picking up this conversation at rapid speed, as we witness the prospect of psilocybin access transcend partisan politics. We’re excited to continue to engage the public, decision-makers, and the psilocybin community as we work towards improving safety, access and affordability for state-regulated psilocybin therapy, and we look forward to your continued engagement in this work. Just last week, we called on our community to advocate for safety in Oregon’s program, and 165 people sent in letters in support of increased reporting. This type of engagement is the way we work together to ensure we continue to center safety in every aspect of our work. I’m grateful for all the support from this community, from the HAF team, and the energy we’ve all extended to make these programs what they are today.
With that said, we’re honestly just getting started. We have so much work left to do, and we are keeping our eye on the ball – from ensuring safety through prevention and effective adverse event response, to paving the path for affordable access as an opportunity to create a program worth replicating across the county.
Next month, at Horizon’s Northwest, we’ll be showcasing some of our proudest moments from the work so far, and we hope you’ll join us in both celebrating and doubling down on the work we have ahead.
Onward,
Sam Chapman
Executive Director
Sam@HealingAdvocacyFund.org
UPDATES
Colorado Natural Medicine Advisory Board Subcommittees Submit Recommendations for Regulated Psilocybin Therapies Program
The five subcommittees of the Natural Medicine Advisory Board submitted a slate of recommendations to the full board for review on Nov. 17, in preparation for official rulemaking to begin in 2024. Key recommendations include the following:
Increasing the number of hours required for facilitator training from Oregon’s 120 up to 140, with 45 hours focused on Safety and Ethics (up from Oregon’s 12). Other recommended changes to the training requirements relative to Oregon include additional modules focused on trauma, suicidality, and screening/referral. These changes integrate findings from HAF’s qualitative analysis of Oregon’s training requirements.
6-month training license to supplement the required 40 hours of practicum experience for facilitator training. Modeled after the Colorado Medical Board’s Physician Training License, this addition would require six months of consultation with a supervisor prior to becoming independently licensed. This recommendation also reflects Healing Advocacy Fund’s presentation of qualitative research emphasizing the importance of substantial experiential education to develop facilitator skills and support safety. The Equity subcommittee also recommends allowing for remote supervision to support access in rural areas.
Product labels should detail potency in both mg of psilocybin and psilocin, and total potency by converting the percentage of psilocin to psilocybin. This reflects recommendations from the Healing Advocacy Fund safety committee.
Make public all deidentified data collected under the Natural Medicine Access Program. A recommendation from the Public Health and Health Equity subcommittee, aggregated data will preclude the identification of personal health information, and will be made available for research, innovation, and safety.
>Read a more detailed description of board discussions.
Up to Date Numbers on Oregon Psilocybin Services Program Licensing
The following information has been compiled through the OHA’s Psilocybin Services website.
These numbers are updated on a weekly basis and are subject to change. Last updated 11/20/23.
EVENTS
Horizons Northwest Conference: December 1-3 at the Portland Art Museum
Horizons Northwest is a three-day conference exploring regional, national, and global dialogues about psychedelics. Returning for its second year, Horizons Northwest is the largest psychedelic learning and community event in the Pacific Northwest region. Horizons Northwest features over 40 leaders in the psychedelic community from across Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, North America, and abroad.
Register today using the code HAF-NW-15 for a 15% discount.
> Learn More & Register
Webinar Series for Providers: Natural Psychedelic Medicines for Mental Health
Save the date! Join us for the first installment of a 4-part interactive webinar series for health care providers interested in natural medicines to treat mental health.
Next year, healthcare providers across the state will have an opportunity to offer groundbreaking mental health services to their patients and clients through regulated psilocybin therapy. We want you to be as prepared as possible for this change, which is why Healing Advocacy Fund Colorado has teamed up with Mental Health Colorado to offer a free webinar series on natural psychedelic medicines in winter and spring 2024. This 4-part series will equip providers with the information to understand the new laws and explain the research-backed therapeutic potential of natural medicines to patients and clients.
> Learn More & Register
Resources
Know the Law: What's Legal Under Colorado's Prop 122?
With rulemaking set to begin in early 2024, Colorado residents still have questions surrounding what is legal under Proposition 122. Here are the basics:
The following activities are NOT legal and remain crimes in Colorado:
Selling natural medicines or distributing natural medicines for a commercial or business purpose
Selling or distributing natural medicines as part of a business promotion or other commercial activity
Driving under the influence of natural medicine
Selling or sharing natural medicines with someone under the age of twenty-one
Possessing with intent to sell natural medicines
> Read the detailed analysis for Colorado's Psychedelics Law.
IN THE NEWS
Grandmother and Her Family Try Mushroom Tea in Hopes of Psychedelic-Assisted Healing
CBS Mornings
Four women — two daughters, their mom and their grandmother — recently got together in Colorado for the emotional trip of their lives. They underwent psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy using psilocybin, a compound found in mushrooms. The retreat, specifically tailored for women, was legal following Colorado voters' decision last year to decriminalize psilocybin's use. As three generations of one family got together, they were hoping for a new and different path to healing.
> Watch the story
Massachusetts Governor Proposes Bill to Study Psychedelic Treatments for Vets, Advocates Call for Legalization
Psychedelic Spotlight
Governor Maura Healey filed legislation on Veterans Day to increase benefits, modernize services and promote inclusivity for Massachusetts veterans called “An Act Honoring, Empowering and Recognizing Our Service members and Veterans (HERO Act).” Among priorities such as reimbursement for LGBTQ service members and expanding behavioral health treatment, the bill would also create a “public-private working group to study the health benefits of psychedelics as treatment for veterans suffering from physical or mental health disorders related to their service.”
> Read the article