Two States, Learning From Each Other
In 2020, Oregon voters approved a measure to create the nation’s first state-licensed psilocybin therapy program. In 2022, Colorado passed its own measure, setting up a similar program to provide natural psychedelic therapies to people who need them. Oregon’s program is up and running, while Colorado’s commences in early 2025.
Over the last few years, HAF has worked to support policymakers and regulators with information and guidance in an effort to create programs that are as safe, accessible, and effective as possible. It’s not an easy task—this is work no one in the world has done before—but it’s an important one. At HAF, we’ve learned the art and science of balancing safety and access in public policy takes deep regulatory knowledge, a focus on outcomes, attention to detail, strong relationships, and collaborative problem-solving.
It also means learning from each other, as we have done around the issue of integrating psilocybin therapy into the existing mental health care system.
In order to promote safety and efficacy and ensure that individuals have access to comprehensive care to support their unique mental health needs, psychedelic therapy needs to be a tool mental health providers can recommend and offer for their patients who may benefit.
HAF has successfully worked for the inclusion of protections for “dual licensure” in Colorado, allowing licensed healthcare providers to use their expertise in client screening, risk assessment, and integration of psilocybin therapy, as now reflected in comprehensive rules adopted by Colorado’s state regulators. While Oregon’s psilocybin therapy rules currently prohibit dual licensure, our teams across the two states have been working closely together as Colorado’s structure progresses, adapting lessons learned to fit Oregon’s program and make recommendations for improvements to the Oregon Health Authority.
With the support of the psilocybin community and important insights from Colorado, HAF Oregon is now working with stakeholders on a proposal to allow licensed medical and mental health professionals to bring their full professional expertise into the program. This policy change would more effectively integrate psychedelic care with other forms of health care, deepen the pool of facilitators, and improve both safety and efficacy.
This policy effort is an example of the way in which HAF’s focused work in both Oregon and Colorado is allowing each state to benefit from lessons learned in the other. Our team provides a critical channel for learnings, recommendations, and real-time improvements - making both programs better.
Taylor West
Executive Director
UPDATES
Oregon: Up to Date Numbers on Psilocybin Services Program Licensing
These numbers are updated on a weekly basis and are subject to change. Last updated 6/24/24.
Oregon: The Psilocybin Access Fund Launches
In April, the Sheri Eckert Foundation (SEF) opened grant applications for the Psilocybin Access Fund, which helps those in need of healing overcome financial barriers to psilocybin therapy within the Oregon state-regulated model. Successful applicants from underserved communities—people who couldn't otherwise afford this treatment—receive funds to offset the cost of psilocybin therapy, thereby expanding access to Oregon’s psilocybin therapy program. If you or someone you know could benefit from a grant to afford psilocybin therapy, we encourage you to apply for a Psilocybin Access Fund grant.
> Apply for a Grant
Colorado: DORA Adopts Final Rules for Colorado Facilitators
Earlier this month, the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) adopted the first set of regulations to implement Colorado’s psilocybin therapy program. These rules put high standards in place for safety and care, and the inclusion of dual licensure will allow for a more accessible program that is integrated into our mental health care system. State regulators and Colorado’s Natural Medicine Advisory Board have worked thoughtfully and diligently to implement a program that will provide valuable opportunities for Coloradans to heal.
> See the Latest Changes to CO Rules
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Ashland Healing Center: Owned & Operated by a Mother-Daughter Duo
Ashland Healing Center is a legal Psilocybin Service Center licensed by the State of Oregon. Owners Laurie Thompson and Denise Taylor are making history as a mother-daughter duo who opened one of the first legal centers in Ashland, Oregon.
Laurie Thompson says: I am a facilitator because I am passionate about helping people change their lives. I believe healing, transformation, and better emotional and physical health are possible with one psilocybin experience. I am grateful to live in Oregon, a state that allows legal use of plant medicine, and sets regulations for its safe use.
Denise Taylor says: Over the years I became discouraged with the healthcare establishment and my inability to help people. I learned about psilocybin and was amazed at the research and results – this led me to take my own journey. After my psilocybin experience, I clearly knew that the mushrooms were calling me to share this with the world. I left my nursing career and in partnership with my mother we opened our own psilocybin administration center, and I became a licensed facilitator.
> Learn More about Ashland Healing Center
EVENTS
A Webinar for Veterans Interested in Psilocybin Therapy
The Healing Advocacy Fund is partnering with the non profit Heroic Hearts Project (HHP) to offer an info session for veterans and first responders interested in accessing Oregon’s psilocybin therapy program on Tuesday, July 9th, from 6-7pm.
The webinar will feature Heroic Hearts Project founder Jesse Gould and Zack Skiles, Heroic Hearts Project’s Resident Psychologist. It will also feature veterans who participated in the first-ever cohort of Heroic Hearts veterans to go through Oregon’s psilocybin therapy program. In addition to providing background on Oregon’s psilocybin program and a question and answer session, attendees will learn about the lasting impact psilocybin therapy has had on veterans’ lives, scholarships for retreats, and community resources available to veterans through Heroic Hearts Project.
Fewer than 10% of veterans who begin traditional PTSD treatment programs complete treatment and experience marked improvement. Preliminary research of Heroic Hearts Project’s psychedelic programs by King’s College, London, suggests that over 80% of veterans experience significant improvement after participating in just one psychedelic program.
If you are a veteran or know a veteran who is interested in accessing psilocybin therapy, we hope you will join us.
> Register for the Webinar
There's Still Time to Participate in the Oregon Health Authority Listening Sessions
OHA’s Oregon Psilocybin Services hosts annual public listening sessions for members of the public to share feedback on the ongoing administration of the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act (ORS 475A). To receive updates and information about upcoming opportunities to engage, you may sign up for the distribution list.
There is one virtual public listening session left in June 2024. The listening session will be 90 minutes in length and open to the public. Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation are provided, as well as CART captioning. Please click on the date below for more information about how to join.
06/27/24: Listening Session #3
> Learn More
Learn How to Become a Natural Medicine Facilitator in Colorado
Join Healing Advocacy Fund and Mental Health Colorado for a virtual overview of Colorado’s program for psychedelic facilitators. This session will provide an overview of the requirements to become licensed as a natural medicine facilitator, with opportunities for Q&A.
Info Session: Facilitating with Psilocybin Mushrooms in Colorado's Natural Medicine Program
Date: Thursday, July 11 at 12:30 PM MT
Speakers: Tasia Poinsatte, Colorado State Director, David McLaughlin, Vice President of Operations at Mental Health Colorado, and Joshua Kappel, Founding Partner of Vicente LLP.
> Register for the Info Session
RESOURCES
Setting Realistic Expectations for a Psilocybin Therapy Session
Research shows psilocybin can be incredibly beneficial, but it is not for everyone. It’s important to have realistic expectations of what psilocybin can do, and to understand how your medical, family, and mental health history play into the potential impact of psilocybin therapy. If you are interested in learning more about how to set realistic expectations for a psilocybin therapy session, access and download the free HAF Client Education Guide.
> Download the Guide
Share Your Experience as a Client in Oregon's Psilocybin Therapy Program
Help us share stories about the profound impact state-regulated psychedelic healing can have by sharing your experience with the Healing Advocacy Fund.
> Share Your Story
Stories & Successes from the 2024 Aspen Psychedelic Symposium
The second annual Aspen Psychedelic Symposium was held earlier this month and was a great success! Attendees heard from keynote speakers Gül Dölen and Rick Doblin, expert panels on groundbreaking research, and firsthand insights into the transformative world of psychedelic medicines. If you’re interested to learn more, here are some of our favorite panels from the Symposium:
A particularly fascinating panel titled “First to Respond: Cultivating Compassion and Resilience in Law Enforcement Communities" exemplified how far we’ve come in recent years in understanding of the potential of psychedelic therapies to support healing. The panel included active duty police officer Lt. Sarko Gergerian, onstage in uniform, in conversation with Rick Doblin, Lt. Diane Goldstein (Ret.) and Joe Moore of Psychedelic Today discussing the importance of access to psychedelic care for first responders to support mental health and address trauma.
A panel focused on the state access models in Colorado and Oregon explored wisdom from practitioners regarding ethical, integrated care and opportunities for healing within the state frameworks.
For more information, and access to all panels, all recordings from the Symposium are available online. Explore what experts had to say on tradition, science, advocacy, and the future of psychedelics.
> Listen to the 2024 Aspen Psychedelic Symposium
Heroic Hearts Project Veteran Psilocybin Retreat Opportunity
The Heroic Hearts Project has an upcoming 5-day/4-night Veteran Psilocybin
Retreat program opportunity being hosted in Portland, Oregon in July 2024.
HHP-InnerTrek All-Male Veteran Psilocybin Retreat Program | July 19-23 | Portland, OR
Only veterans who reside in Oregon and Washington for these programs are eligible in order to provide in-person integration support and build community after the retreat program is complete.
If you are interested in applying for these programs, the next step is to please complete
an Enrollment Request Form.
Please provide as much detail as you feel comfortable so as to allow the Heroic Heart Application Managers to better understand your situation. Once you have completed an Enrollment Request Form, please keep an eye out in your inbox for an email from operations @ heroicheartsproject.org. HHP will send an email to everyone who completed an Enrollment Request Form for these programs to let you know when all of the spots have been filled.
From the Field: Bendable Therapy Releases One Year Report on Psilocybin Program
The Bendable Therapy 2024 Annual Report provides an overview of the legal psilocybin landscape in Oregon after its first year of implementation from the perspective of the Central Oregon service center. This report summarizes the key characteristics of individuals seeking psilocybin services through the legal Oregon framework, including demographics, intentions and goals, barriers faced, and post-psilocybin session outcomes and insights. 429 individuals submitted applications to Bendable Therapy seeking access to a psilocybin session in the past year.
From these applications, the majority of individuals identified as female, white, were approximately 50 years old and reported a diagnosis of depression. The primary reason, or intention, for seeking out psilocybin services was to address a mental health condition (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, etc.), with many individuals reporting that a psilocybin session felt like an important ‘next step’ in their mental health journey.
Additionally, in March 2024 Bendable Therapy launched a collaborative research study with Osmind Biosciences to further investigate the characteristics of those seeking psilocybin services through the legal Oregon framework. This study will gather data both before and after a psilocybin session, including medical and mental health histories, intentions/goals, acute and lingering effects post-psilocybin session, and overall impacts of the session on mental health and well-being. Data collection is currently underway, and we hope to share results in 2025.
> Read the Full Report
IN THE NEWS
Could Psilocybin Change a Young Mother's Cancer Journey? Inside Colorado's Major Psychedelic Study
Colorado Public Radio
Twenty years later, in 2022, Showalter was diagnosed with cancer, too. As it has advanced, she’s seen the story from a mother’s perspective, in all its terrifying detail: the pain, the mental fog that comes with chemotherapy, and the unanswerable questions: would she live? And what would she tell her own little girl, Rúni, who’s 5 now? “All of a sudden, I'd start crying in front of her,” Showalter said. “I would think about the future, and missing out and everything like that — instead of being present right then and there.”
> Read the Full Article
FDA Advisors Voted Against MDMA Therapy - Researchers are Still Fighting for it
BBC
A vote against using MDMA as part of therapy for PTSD has provoked a powerful backlash among researchers who study psychedelic drugs. Some 13 million Americans struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Existing therapies only bring relief for a fraction of patients, and new treatments are sorely needed, according to psychiatrists wrestling with the scale of the problem. So, there was distinct disappointment when an advisory committee at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted earlier this month against a therapy that many had hoped could offer the first new treatment for PTSD in 25 years.
> Read the Full Article
Oregon's Psilocybin Industry, A Year Old, Seeks Customers
Oregon Capital Chronicle
A year in, Oregon’s experiment with the first regulated psilocybin mushroom market in the world is short on customers. To attract them, advocates say the industry needs to get the word out about its benefits. “We think everybody knows that psychedelics can help them because we’re in this little bubble. But 99% of people have no idea what they could get out of a journey,” said Heidi Venture, founder of a Hood River mushroom center, Vital Reset, where customers undergo supervised “trips” on psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms.
> Read the Full Article
CU Denver Launches Psychedelic Research Center in Downtown Denver
CU Denver News
Today marks the official launch of the CU Denver Center for Psychedelic Research at the University of Colorado Denver. The center is dedicated to improving the quality of life of people by studying the possible benefits psychedelic drugs may have in treating a range of mental, emotional, neurologic, and other health conditions, as well as their potential use for late-stage cancer, and chronic, debilitating diseases.
> Read the Full Article
Opinion: Colorado's New Rules for Psychedelic Therapy will Ensure Both Safety and Accessibility
Denver Post by Tasia Poinsatte, HAF Colorado State Director
In November of 2022, amid a severe and ongoing mental health crisis, Coloradans
voted in favor of the creation of a state-regulated psychedelic therapy program. In fact
that year, Mental Health America ranked Colorado last in the nation for adult access
to mental health care.
The truth is our mental health system has not been meeting the needs of our most
vulnerable residents, neighbors, and family members for a long time. Veterans with
PTSD are in crisis, with 20 veterans committing suicide each day across the county.
Anxiety, depression, and addiction are on the rise, and in Colorado, we have the
tragic distinction of ranking among the top five states in the country for adult suicide.
> Read the Full Article
Advocates and Providers Aim to Lower Cost of Psilocybin Treatments
Axios
A year after the first legal psilocybin treatment centers in Oregon opened, some providers and advocates are trying to make psychedelic therapy more affordable.
Why it matters: Psilocybin journeys have shown promise in treating people with depression, addiction and anxiety, but industry experts say "magic mushroom therapy" is cost-prohibitive for many people.
> Read the Full Article