Oregon releases draft rules for therapeutic psilocybin program

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon has released draft rules for the therapeutic use of psilocybin, commonly called magic mushrooms.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports voters approved Measure 109 in November of 2020, giving the state two years to set up the framework to regulate legal magic mushrooms in the state.

Researchers believe psilocybin could help treat depression, PTSD and addiction, and Oregon’s system would allow for consumption of the substance in a therapeutic setting for anyone 21 years or older. No prescription or diagnosis would be required to take part in the program.

The rules released last week by the Oregon Health Authority are not complete and are not yet adopted, but they give a glimpse into what the program might look like.

The draft rules deal with how training programs for those administering psilocybin will be evaluated and credentialed, what the psilocybin itself will be and how that substance will be tested.

These draft rules contain some interesting takeaways. Manufacturers can only cultivate or possess one specific species of fungi: Psilocybe cubensis.

According to Jessie Uehling, a professor in the botany and plant pathology department at Oregon State University and the mycologist for the Psilocybin Advisory Board, there are more than 200 species of fungi that are proven to or suspected of being able to produce psilocybin.

“Psilocybe cubensis is a fungal species to consider focusing on initially because there is a long history of safe consumption of this species,” Uehling said.

Manufacturers also would not be allowed to use dung or woodchips to cultivate the mushrooms or make synthetic psilocybin.

Manufacturers would also be required to steer clear of anything that could possibly be marketed to children, including “products in the shape of an animal, vehicle, person or character.”