Psilocybin mushrooms being prepared in Oregon.
Craig Mitchelldyer
America’s first licensed psilocybin service center opened in Oregon this June.There are now thousands on the waitlist to experience a six-hour supported “trip.”More states are now debating legalisation in the hope of improving mental health.
More than 3,000 people are on the waitlist for America’s first legal psilocybin service center, according to The Associated Press.
EPIC Healing Eugene in Eugene, Oregon opened in June offering patients over the age of 21 a six-hour guided experience with the psychedelic drug, better known as magic mushrooms. And it’s proving popular.
No prescription or referral is required, but a “trip” costs between $2,372 and $3,400 per person, although partner and group discounts are available. The service is not covered by health insurance.
It’s the first of several state-regulated centers to open in Oregon since the state narrowly approved the use of psilocybin for therapeutic use in 2020. Many of those who have signed up report experiencing suicidal depression and PTSD, per The AP.
Applications were not being handled in order of receipt but in a more ad-hoc fashion because its capacity was limited, Cathy Rosewell Jonas of the center says in a YouTube video.
After several years establishing regulations and approving license applications, there are now nine licensed services centers, three manufacturers, two testing labs, and dozens of facilitators in Oregon, according to the authority’s license directory.
Though Oregon has also decriminalized personal possession of psilocybin, it can only be legally consumed at the licensed centers.
So what else are you getting for your money? Describing itself on its website as a “small healing and wellness center,” EPIC Healing offers its clients “a safe and supportive space for individualized healing and transformation with psilocybin.”
Clients can enjoy psilocybin tea in a safe environment with blankets, wind chimes and tie-dye mattresses.
A mushroom sculpture at EPIC Healing Eugene.
Jenny Kane
Interest has grown globally in the use of psychedelics to treat mental health. Psilocybin has shown promise for treating severe depression, however the long-term benefits remain unclear.
The Oregon Psilocybin Services, charged with regulating the state’s industry, says it has received “hundreds of thousands of inquiries from all over the world,” per ABC News.
Psilocybin remains illegal at the federal level, but many states are also looking to follow Oregon’s example. In November 2022, Colorado removed criminal penalties for possessing certain psychedelics and similar ballot measures have been introduced in New York, Washington, and a dozen other states. Many have also taken the first step in decriminalizing psilocybin.
As companies get closer to receiving approval for the Food and Drug Administration, the use of psychedelics by pharmaceutical companies has been booming.