by Amy Wilding-Fox
Though still illegal at the federal level, psilocybin is getting the primary green light from the FDA by naming it a “breakthrough therapy for severe depression.” Communities across the country have begun to decriminalize psilocybin, but Oregon leads the pack in the legalization of the psychedelic drug also known as “magic mushrooms.”
Two years after voters approved the initiative, Oregon has finally begun drafting the final rules for their Psilocybin Therapeutic Program. This program will create licensed facilities for people twenty-one and over to safely consume magic mushrooms at an approved site while under the supervision of the facilitator. The new rules are not without confusion and questions from constituents and business owners looking to get in on this industry at the ground floor.
With some already investing heavily, the concern is caused by the caveat allowing counties to opt out of the new laws if voted on by constituents. This is not a new idea to cannabis advocates, as several states have enacted similar opt-out options on marijuana laws for local communities. There are already numerous counties, mostly rural, with such an initiative on the ballot for November 2022. Supporters have voiced concern on the outcome and fear having to move if they wish to continue investing in the new industry should their county get the votes to opt out.
With regard to the cannabis laws, advocates hope the counties that have chosen to opt out will eventually see the tax revenue that they will lose out on and reverse course—like many counties in Oregon did upon seeing the revenues from legal marijuana sales.
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