Colorado municipalities consider restrictions ahead of psilocybin healing centers being licensed

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.

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 and research around end-of-life care. So this is a really different model, helping people to work more at facing the root causes of suffering."

Colorado is leading the way in the new frontier in medicine, but it's not without risks.

"There are some contraindications. It's also possible that if an inexperienced facilitator is working with someone, it's possible they may come out of these experiences with more turmoil," Lewis said.

The state requires healing centers be at least 1,000 feet from schools and childcare centers, but some Colorado municipalities want to go further.

Unlike with marijuana, Colorado towns can't prohibit natural medicine businesses, but they can regulate the time, place and manner they can practice locally.

Earlier this year, Parker was the first to adopt ordinances limiting where healing centers and businesses cultivating the medicine may practice.

A Parker spokesperson described the ordinances that went into effect on Feb. 20. "Under the Town of Parker's Municipal Code, a natural healing center is allowed in areas of the Town where similar types of medical offices are permitted. Businesses engaged in cultivation, manufacturing or testing of natural medicine are limited to areas where similar types of industrial businesses are permitted. Both types of businesses are required to be located at least 1,000 feet from schools, childcare centers and residential areas. Both businesses are allowed to be open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and have certain requirements related to screening, lighting, odors, storage, disposal of by-products, security and use of hazardous materials. "

Now, other municipalities across the state, including Aspen, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Arapahoe County, Breckenridge, Frisco and Castle Rock are considering similar regulations. Many are exploring mandating the centers be at least 1,000 feet from residences.

Denver Natural Medicine Work Group will meet on Dec. 10 to finalize recommendations to city council for the city's regulation of healing centers.

Castle Rock Town Council is expected to vote on restrictions on Dec. 17.

On Dec.19, Boulder City Council will likely vote on adding a definition of natural medicine business, categorizing the healing centers as medical offices and categorizing cultivation businesses as light manufacturing.

"I am concerned about cities and municipalities putting greater restrictions on what the state has already laid out," Lewis said.

Lewis worries increased proximity restrictions from homes could make it difficult for healing centers to practice in some communities.

"It could have an unintended effect of actually driving more use into the kind of underground market or the unregulated community space," Lewis said. "In a regulated healing center, those would probably be the safest contexts, where this use is taking place under the guidance and direction of authorized clinicians."

The retail sale of mushrooms is still illegal, but personal use and growth have been decriminalized.

Lewis says any communities that have questions about psychedelic therapy are welcome to reach out to Naropa.  

"It's important to provide education to destigmatize those medicines and recognizing that the therapeutic use of psychedelic medicines is really pretty different from recreational use," Lewis said.