Colorado Rings In The New Year With Psilocybin Therapy

Colorado has held the title of Strona 2nd State to Legalize Psychedelic Therapy for just a few days, but already cracks are showing. Despite the residents of the state voting to legalize the therapeutic use of psilocybin, (the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms and truffles) in 2022, there is pushback from local leaders of more conservative towns in the state, such as Colorado Springs.

The Second State to Legalize Psilocybin Therapy

Colorado follows the state of Oregon’s lead in legalizing psilocybin for therapeutic usage, a groundbreaking move which aims to address mental health conditions like PTSD, niepokój i depresja. Despite the growing wealth of evidence that the magic mushroom extract is an effective treatment for these issues, this progress has been met with resistance. 

Starting this week, companies and individuals can apply for licenses to administer psylocybina in controlled, therapeutic settings. However, despite not being able to ban this new treatment, leaders from the city of Colorado Springs are trying their darndest to obstruct the establishment of these much-longed-for “healing centres”. 

The city’s step to extend the required distance between healing centres and certain ‘sensitive’ locations, such as schools, has triggered angry pushback, particularly from the veteran community, who fought hard for the bill to be passed. Colorado Springs, which has long been a hub for retired service people, is itself home to over 90.000 veterans. This means the city lawmakers’ rejection of the bill hits very close to home. 

Disappointment for the Veterans

At a recent Colorado Springs city council meeting, members voted on extending the state prohibition on healing centres from 1,000 feet (305 metres) to 1 mile (1.6km) from the aforementioned ‘sensitive locations’. Veterans, in attendance, beseeched them not to.

Special forces veteran Lane Belone, who has himself benefited from psilocybin therapy, stated;

“We have an opportunity to support veterans, and it’s a really easy one to say ‘Yes’ to,”

He also warned that these location restrictions would reduce the number of available treatment centres, leading to both less accessibility as well as longer wait times for those in need. 

Council President Randy Helms, a veteran himself, shared measured support for the therapy:

 “I will never sit up here and criticize a veteran for wanting to find a medical treatment to fix or to help with the issues that they carry,”

“Do I think that it’s helpful to not just veterans but to individuals? Probably so. Do I think it still needs to be tested under strict requirements? Yes.”

Regardless of these justifiable objections, the Colorado Springs City Council ended up passing the proposed restrictions, citing lack of FDA approval and potential risks associated with the treatment. 

The Conservative Tide is Changing Towards Psychedelics

Despite this defeat, the veterans had managed to sway some conservative support for psilocybin therapy — managing to distance it from other politically divisive drug policies such as legalizing cannabis. Fascinatingly, some council members, such as David Leinweber are totally opposed to cannabis use while supporting broader access to psilocybin therapy. This additional support from conservative corners is what had initially helped the psilocybin therapy bill to sail through. 

To access psilocybin-assisted therapy patients will have to complete risk assessment, preliminary meetings, follow-up sessions, and remain in the care of a facilitator while under the drug’s influence. The psilocybin used by the centres will also be tested, and the providers regulated by a state agency. They’re not leaving anything to chance!

Advocates and veterans fear that despite these careful guidelines, sluggish bureaucracy (such as the FDA) will get in the way of positive progress. The longer those with mental illness need to wait for adequate treatment the more they may suffer. For many people who battle treatment-resistant depression, the promise of psychedelic therapy has been a light at the end of the tunnel.

Psychedelics are an Essential Tool

Psychedelic advocate Taylor West, of the Healing Advocacy Fund explained the urgency of the cause;

“This is a crisis that we are in, and this is a tool that we can add to our toolbox,” 

This clash of wills seen in Colorado shows that the path of psychedelic progress is still a rocky one. Despite veterans (a demographic greatly respected in the U.S) pleading for access to healing, there are still those in power who have not yet recognized how crucial psychedelic access is. 

Luckily, your access is just a click away…