14 APRIL 20-26, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | LETTERS | CONTENTS | mental health. Comparing subcommittee work to “walking one-legged,” she wondered how dividing the board to consider different aspects of the law would result in a cohesive psychedelic therapy framework. “At what point over time do we put the body back to- gether on a regular basis so we can see what actually is happening?” she asked. Discussions of equitable access and reli- gious and Indigenous use fi lled much of the advisory board meeting, and both topics are likely to occupy much of that committee’s work. According to DORA’s Sam Bahrami, who oversees the advisory board meetings, “af- fordability is a huge part” of the conversation. But the advisory board, which is largely responsible for the medical and professional aspects of implementation, is just part of the equation. State Senator Stephen Fenberg is ex- pected to introduce a bill in the Colorado Legislature any day that would further regu- late personal psilocybin use and administra- tion. Fenberg “wasn’t necessarily the biggest fan” of how Prop 122 was written, he said at a February town hall, and even voted against the measure — but he says that his “intentions are pure” regarding the upcoming proposal. Prop 122 didn’t include limits on personal possession and cultivation of psilocybin, and Fenberg and other state lawmakers want to deal with that before the current legislative session ends in May. “There need to be some rules just so people have clarity in what’s allowed in our society, and law enforcement needs to know if they pull over a truck on the highway full of mushrooms, is that personal use?” Fenberg pointed out during the town hall. “According to the ballot measure, that could be.” Recalling the implementation of cannabis legalization and the long list of regulations that came with it, Fenberg cited Colorado’s cannabis regulations as a template for psy- chedelic laws: “It was a long process, like maybe a thousand-plus pages of statutes that have been edited, revised, changed and con- fi rmed to allow the marijuana industry and also the decriminalization of it to occur in the state of Colorado successfully. That’s what we will be doing this legislative session.” Prop 122 contained fewer than 200 words, leaving lots of room for both the advisory board and lawmakers to create numerous rules for what adults can and can’t do with psychedelics. Local government control, intentionally left out of Prop 122’s language in order to ensure access in rural communities that might other- wise opt out of allowing psilocybin, could also be revisited in the state legislature. Entrepreneurs and investors aren’t wait- ing around, though. According to a market report from InsightAce Analytic, the psyche- delic therapeutics industry could be worth $8.31 billion by 2028. Much of that depends on legalization efforts in states beyond Or- egon and Colorado; Hawaii, Missouri and New York are currently considering mea- sures that would decriminalize psilocybin or legalize its medical use. Denver is already an epicenter for psyche- delic industry activity. In June, over 10,000 people are expected at Psychedelic Science, a psychedelic industry conference organized by MAPS at the Colorado Convention Center. Notable speakers include Pollan and Stamets, as well as NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Grammy-winning musician Melissa Etheridge. A similar industry expo, PsyCon, will be at the convention center three months later. Consumer-facing events such as Expand Lands and parties from the Psychedelic Club of Denver are also on the rise — and so are less defi ned gatherings. Type in the search term “mushrooms” on Eventbrite, and you’ll quickly fi nd magic mushroom-growing classes, psy- chedelic-friendly yoga and brunches handing out microdoses of psilocybin in Colorado. As a result, psilocybin facilitators who’ve long been operating on the fringe are prepar- ing for a short, strange trip over the next few months as both new rules and new opportunities arise. “We want it to be clear right now, but it’s all still very gray. Access to these medicines and healing containers is really important, but I just don’t know how this is going to take shape with the future that is coming,” Eshleman says. “When anything in society comes along with such a new sense of em- powerment, there will always be people grasping for that.” Email the author at thomas.mitchell@ westword.com. Psychedelics continued from page 12 Compared to cannabis, magic mushrooms can easily and affordably be grown at home. EVAN SEMÓN DENVER Next to REI at 15th & Platte ............................. BOULDER On the Pearl St. Mall .............................. & In The Village ......................... ............ APRIL CLOG SALE $10 - $50 OFF comfortableshoes.com
