Watching Massachusetts this November
What’s Inside:
Election season is upon us. We’re watching Massachusetts, where voters will have the chance to approve a ballot measure to create the third state-regulated psychedelic therapy program for adults 21+ in the U.S.
Make your voice heard through Oregon’s rulemaking process.
Some Oregon cities are reconsidering banning psilocybin this November.
Watch the webinar on the final version of the Colorado program rules.
Dear Rylee,
As I write this, there are approximately 5 weeks left until Election Day. While there are many vitally important choices that voters will make this year, one in particular stands out for me: the decision Massachusetts voters will make about creating a state-regulated psychedelic therapy program in the Bay State.
At Healing Advocacy Fund, our mission is to support the development of safe, effective psychedelic therapy programs with state policy. We know the tremendous promise these programs provide for people. If Massachusetts joins Oregon and Colorado to become the third state offering thoughtfully designed, high-quality psychedelic care, that healing promise expands. We at HAF are preparing to expand our work to support Massachusetts voters, advocates, policymakers, and providers to build a safe, accessible and effective program. With our deep experience in Oregon and Colorado, we will bring the lessons we’ve learned and the best practices that have been developed in Oregon and Colorado to continue improving on the state model of care, helping Massachusetts fulfill its role (in the words of Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis) as a “laboratory of democracy.”
Regardless of what happens in November, our work educating policymakers, civic leaders and healthcare practitioners about the value of psychedelic healing to clients and communities continues. With your help and in collaboration with the psychedelic care community, we are building and supporting programs that can bring real healing to people, showing that psychedelic therapy is safe and effective, protecting the progress of the entire field, and thoughtfully expanding the reach of these programs.
Thank you for all you do to support our mission.
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 August 19, 2024.
Oregon Rulemaking: Make Your Voice Heard at the OHA Public Comment Period!
The Oregon Psilocybin Services rulemaking period is here! Proposed new rules will be released on October 1st, including draft rules related to psilocybin services, licensed premises, training programs and facilitators, in addition to rules related to the implementation of Senate Bill 303.
In addition to a few other community-supported rule changes, HAF is advocating for a change in rule to expand the Adverse Reactions definition. This change will require operators or facilitators to report adverse events they become aware of that occur within 72 hours after a psilocybin administration session. Currently, an adverse event is only required to be reported during an administration session. HAF will continue to review, monitor, and advocate for rules with an emphasis on safety and access.
Make your voice heard, or tune in at any of the virtual listening sessions below:
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 – 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Wednesday, October 16, 2024 – 10:00am – 11:30am
Thursday, October 17, 2024 – 11:30am – 1:00pm
> Learn More on Proposed Rule Changes
Psilocybin on the Ballot in Oregon
Local news stories in Oregon have been reporting on cities and counties who are considering banning psilocybin through local ballot measures this November. In 2022, local jurisdictions across the state had the option to “opt-out” of psilocybin therapy—effectively banning state-regulated psilocybin activities in their jurisdiction. Many voters supported local bans, resulting in permanent bans or 2-year moratoriums. At the same time, over 2 million Oregonians were given local access to psilocybin therapy, primarily up and down the I-5 corridor and in major metro areas across the state.
Now, 2 years later, cities that instituted a 2-year moratorium are reconsidering their option to ban psilocybin therapy. Unfortunately, many cities will ban psilocybin for the same reasons they did two years ago: fear of minors gaining access, worries that production would be a drain on water resources, and concerns that emergency services would be overloaded.
The truth is that very few of those initial concerns appear to have come to fruition. The program is working as designed. Service centers and facilitators are reporting that even a single psilocybin session can jumpstart a renewed sense of hope for those who've long used other modalities to address their mental health challenges without meaningful results, including antidepressants and talk therapy.
We hope that in time, some of these reluctant local governments will begin to see psilocybin therapy for what it is: a safe and effective mental health tool. In the meantime, HAF will continue to focus on improving safety and access where the program is allowed, through rule and law changes, and educating potential clients and community leaders about the benefits of psilocybin therapy.
EVENTS
Oregon Webinar: Psilocybin Program Improvement Bill
Join HAF staff at an upcoming webinar on Wednesday, October 9th from Noon - 1pm, for a preview of and community conversation about the Psilocybin Program Improvement bill, which is being submitted by the Healing Advocacy Fund for the 2025 Oregon Legislative session.
After a year-long process engaging community members to develop recommendations, the Psilocybin Program Improvement bill includes legal protections for healthcare providers who discuss psilocybin therapy with patients; allows dual licensure to create a pathway for healthcare professions to more fully participate in the program; improves client confidentiality, and more.
RESOURCES
Breaking Down the Final Rules for Psychedelic Therapy in Colorado
HAF teamed up with reMind to break down Colorado’s final rules for its psychedelic therapy program. With the program set to launch in early 2025, this webinar answers the most pressing questions for those hoping to participate in Colorado’s groundbreaking model for legal psychedelic care.
> Watch the Webinar
New Study Announced: Psilocybin as a Treatment for Fibromyalgia
From the researcher, Sierra Warren:
“Participants will be responsible for covering their costs related to receiving psilocybin services. Financial assistance may be available.”
> Submit a Participant Interest Form
IN THE NEWS
Colorado Gets Ready for Mushrooms — State Finalizes Regulations Surrounding Psilocybin Therapy in Preparation for 2025 Rollout
Montrose Press
While individuals in Colorado are already exploring this new frontier of psychedelic therapy, an official infrastructure to accommodate this terrain opened up by Prop 122 has yet to be unrolled. That’s coming in early 2025. But, the state moved a step closer to that rollout this summer, when core regulations surrounding the therapeutic use of psilocybin were established in early August.
> Read the Article
Mental Health Matters: Psilocybin as a Mental Health Treatment
Jefferson Public Radio
Andra Hollenbeck from NAMI-SO visits with Heidi Pendergast, Oregon director for Healing Advocacy Fund, and Emma Knighton, Director of Services for InnerTrek to discuss how the drug Psilocybin is being used to treat patients diagnosed with mental illness.
> Listen to the Story
Colorado Wants more Public Feedback for Psychedelic Therapy so it’s Delaying Final Fee Approval to October
Steamboat Pilot
Colorado is making its way through the final regulatory hurdles to launch psychedelic-assisted therapy in 2025. This week, a final decision on the fees for healing centers, cultivators and manufacturers was pushed back to allow more time for the public to weigh in.
> Read the Article
Opinion: ‘I healed from PTSD using this drug. Now I help others do the same.’
Washington Post
Over the past decade, the medical community has started to take seriously the idea that psychedelic drugs — including psilocybin, the compound found in “magic” mushrooms — can help treat some mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder. In Oregon, the drug has been legalized for use under the supervision of a licensed provider. Ben Kramer is one of those providers.
> Read the Article
Colorado Researcher says People with PTSD are Losing Out on an Effective Treatment — MDMA
CPR News
A Boulder-based therapist said he's baffled and disappointed by federal regulators’ decision last month not to approve a therapy using MDMA, also known as ecstasy, to treat PTSD. Bruce Poulter was a lead therapist in the study by Lykos Therapeutics, a company that oversees research into mental health therapies using psychedelics.
> Read the Article