In 2022, voters in Colorado voted to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms and create healing centers for psilocybin therapy. Years later, it’s finally time for full implementation of the measure, as license applications for healing centers become available at the end of the year. psychadelic-mushroom-cbs-colorado.jpg Two state agencies, the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) and the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), will license and regulate the natural medicine industry. Both agencies recently adopted final rules and fees and released the framework for training programs.
Nestled in the heart of Boulder, a small university is already training students who will become some of the first licensed providers of psychedelic healing therapy.
"This is a totally new thing to have these medicines become legalized in our society, so I think the importance of education is critical," said Sara Lewis, director of training and research at the Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies.
Lewis runs the facilitator program at Naropa University, which is licensed according to new state rules.
"Trainees will have to go through a 150-hour training program, then they go through a practicum, then they need another six months of supervision and mentorship before they’re fully licensed," Lewis said.
Naropa, a Buddhist-inspired university celebrating 50 years in operation, is the first higher education institution to offer a minor in psychedelic studies. Lewis says it will focus on safety and ethical considerations related to psychedelics and the history of the medicines in the indigenous community. A major is likely to follow in coming years.
"This is really interdisciplinary study at the undergraduate level for college students who want to maybe go into different psychedelic fields that could be medicine, law, therapy or religious studies," Lewis said.
Once the state begins accepting applications for facilitators and healing centers on Dec. 31, Lewis will also seek a license herself.
Lewis wants to break down preconceived notions people might have about the mushrooms."Even terms that people might use, like ‘magic mushrooms,’ conjures up an image of something very recreational," Lewis said. "Psychedelic medicines and sacred plant medicines have shown to be deeply beneficial for things like depression, anxiety, PTSD. There’s also a lot of interest […]
Colorado municipalities consider restrictions ahead of psilocybin healing centers being licensed
