Deschutes County commissioners set hearing on ballot measure to ban psilocybin manufacturing, service centers

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, July 13, to receive testimony and consider whether to refer an ordinance to voters in November that would prohibit psilocybin product manufacturing and the establishment of psilocybin service centers in the unincorporated county.

The hearing will begin at 2 p.m. and will be reconvened at 5:30 p.m. at the Deschutes Services Building, located at 1300 NW Wall Street in Bend. Virtual participation will also be available. Residents who wish to participate virtually can access log-in information at www.deschutes.org/meetings. Participants will have three minutes to provide testimony.

With the passage of Ballot Measure 109 in 2020, a statewide program exists to permit licensed manufacturers to cultivate and process psilocybin-producing mushrooms and fungi and for licensed service providers to administer psilocybin-producing mushroom and fungi products to adults 21 and older.

Unless a jurisdiction opts out through a local ballot measure in the next general election, Oregon Health Authority, which administers the psilocybin program, will begin accepting applications for licenses on January 2, 2023.