The Oregon Psilocybin Services Act, legalizing supervised psychedelic mushrooms used statewide was approved in November 2020.
It’s now a main topic for Deschutes County Commissioners this Wednesday at a public hearing. Commissioners will hear testimony and consider letting those in Deschutes County vote on prohibiting the production of these mushrooms.
They will also hear about specific establishments producing these drugs outside of the city limits of La Pine, Sisters, Redmond and Bend, but still in the county.
The hearing will start at 2:30 with a break and pick back up at 5:30 p.m.
Those advocating for the drugs point to PTSD relief in veterans through psychedelic therapy.
Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone says the big questions is how the land used for making these drugs and administering them will be handled.
“Are they looking for a doctors office, a rural retreat center, is it a two hour session or an afternoon or an overnight stay,” DeBone asked. “We kind of need to know what the rest of the big picture is so you know, we can manage our land use as we see appropriate as citizens of Deschutes County.”
Local county and city governments may adopt ordinances that prohibit issuing service center and manufacturer licenses.
Ordinances must be approved by voters at the next general election. If the ordinance does not pass in the general election, the Oregon Psilocybin Services will continue to issue licenses.
The Oregon Health Authority is holding three listening sessions on the psilocybin rulemaking July 13-15.
The OHA will begin accepting applications for licenses to make and distribute these drugs on January 2, 2023.
What: The Oregon Psilocybin Services Section at Oregon Health Authority is holding a series of public listening sessions in July.
At the opening of each session, the Oregon Psilocybin Services team will provide a brief presentation on Ballot Measure 109, the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act, and the upcoming rulemaking process. The rest of the session will be dedicated to members of the public to voice comments, ideas, questions and concerns.
When:
Wednesday, July 13th, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Topic: Licensed premises: site, security and operational requirements
Thursday, July 14th, Noon – 2:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Topic: Facilitator conduct: preparation (including client intake and informed consent), administration and integration sessions
Friday, July 15th, 10:00 a.m. – Noon (Pacific Time)
Topic: Client and product safety: packaging, labeling, dosage, duration and frequency
Where: Virtual – Zoom Links can be found on the Public Listening Sessions webpage.
Background: Ballot Measure 109 (M109), also known as the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act, was voted into law by Oregonians in November 2020. M109 directs OHA to license and regulate psilocybin products and the provision of psilocybin services. OHA is in a two-year development period extending from Jan. 1, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2022. During this time, OHA is building a new Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) Section and working with the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board, Rules Advisory Committees (RACs), and the public to establish rules for the production of psilocybin and provision of psilocybin services in the state of Oregon.
For the latest updates, subscribe to the distribution list at: oregon.gov/psilocybin.
