Psychedelic Magic Mushrooms, aka Psilocybin, Provide Treatment in 27 Oregon Service Centers

Magic mushrooms, clinically known as Psilocybin, are a psychedelic used in 27 Oregon clinics to treat severe depression, PTSD, and substance disorders, and this is the month in which the first service center providing the drug in the state was licensed a year ago. Oregon voters approved Psilocybin for therapeutic use in 2020, becoming the first state in the U.S. to do so.

Psilocybin is Ingested for its Hallucinogenic Effects

Psilocybin, ingested for their hallucinogenic effects, has been designated as a groundbreaking therapy in the treatment of severe depression by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Its therapeutic use is supported by veterans’ organizations, as well as a variety of other groups.

The number of centers where magic mushrooms can be consumed legally by people over 21, has grown since EPIC Healing Eugene became the first service center in Oregon last May. There are now 27 service centers, and more than 300 licensed facilitators says Heidi Pendergast, the state director for the Healing Advocacy Fund, a nonprofit that educates and supports Psilocybin programs, such as training, manufacture, and test laboratories.

See also: The Types Of Magic Mushrooms Within Oregon And How To Get Them

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) controls the regulation and services of Psilocybin, but a problem has arisen with the localities of the current service centers. They are situated in western Oregon, in cities like Ashland, Bend, and Portland, making access difficult for people living in the rural, eastern sections of the state.

Price of Psilocybin is Exorbitant

Another problem is the excessive cost of Psilocybin. Pendergast admits that the price for treatment is exorbitant, and says the nonprofit is exploring avenues to reduce the cost.

Pendergast says an individual session can cost $1,200, and the fee for a group session is $750. While the present cost is less than when the program was first launched, Pendergast is hopeful will continue to drop as more service centers are approved.

See also: Ashland Psilocybin Center Seeks Sponsors For Treating PTSD In Veterans Using “Magic Mushrooms”

To date, 3,500 people have received treatment at Psilocybin centers in Oregon. A facilitator at Omnia Group in Ashland, Drew Snyder, believes those numbers will increase as the treatment centers become better known. He says the treatment centers provide a controlled environment in which facilitators offer emotional support and safety throughout the therapeutic sessions.

In Ashland, the Satya Therapeutics service center began operating in July 2023. It is licensed by the OHA to manufacture Psilocybin at a facility in Medford.

But not all service centers have proven successful – a center in Portland closed in March because of a lack of interested clients.

Opposition to the use of psychedelic magic mushroomshas been voiced to those who believe that more research is needed, and who have expressed concern about the negative side-effects of the drug.

The goals set by the OHA for 2024 include building compliance systems, issuing license renewals, and updating administrative rules.

See also: Hundreds Flock To Oregon’s Legal Psilocybin Mushroom, Most Of Them Out Of State