Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat from Colorado, praised regulators for their recent announcement that Colorado’s psychedelics system has been “fully operationalized” and is ready to go. He said on Thursday that it’s a proud moment for him that the supply chain for the nation’s second psilocybin program was in place.
“Proudly announcing that Colorado’s Natural Medicine Initiative is now fully operational!” Polis stated on social media.
He said that Colorado had licensed its first lab in order to fulfill the wishes of voters. This completed the supply chain for Natural Medicines.
Governor’s remarks follow the announcement from Natural Medicine Division of Department of Revenue (NMD), that cultivators, manufacturing facilities, healing centers, and testing labs now have licenses approved. According to the office, with the recent certification for the testing laboratory, the “regulated natural medicines supply chain” is complete.
Colorado voters approved a program that allows facilitators with psilocybin licenses to lead therapeutic sessions using the main ingredient of psychedelic mushroom, psilocybin.
Those who backed the bill say that they anticipate facilitated sessions of psilocybin to start within weeks.
Tasia Poirsatte, Colorado’s director of the non-profit Healing Advocacy Fund said: “I believe that this will officially roll out in next month.” “I know we’ve kind of been saying for a while, ‘It’s getting started, it’s getting started!” But I believe this is the final piece that will fall into place.”
She added, in an interview following the NMD announcement: “This program has really been carefully and thoughtfully implemented.”
With the recent inspection of the state’s one licensed testing lab—Nordic Analytical Laboratories, in Denver—the next step is for products to be tested and eventually delivered to licensed healing centers for use.
NMD announced in an email on Tuesday that it “was excited to announce” the full certification of the Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for the first testing facility.
By mid-May regulators approved three cultivation licenses standard, one product manufacturing license, and two testing licenses.
A CDPHE official told MEDCAN24 via email that the CDPHE had completed its inspection of Nordic Analytical Labs, the first licensed facility for testing natural medicines. As of May 21, this testing facility is certified to check natural medicine for homogeneity and contaminants, as well as tryptamine.
After the Colorado Department of Revenue issued licenses to cultivators, manufacturing companies, healing centers and testing facilities; CDPHE had certified a test facility and the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies granted facilitator licenses, the agency explained, “natural medicines can now be moved from a grower or manufacturer to a research lab to undergo testing. Then, they can eventually move to a heal center, where a facilitator oversees administration.”
Polis signed a bill to create the regulatory framework for psychedelics in 2023, following voters’ passage of the legalization law the year before.
Oregon voters previously legalized therapeutic psilocybin in 2020.
Poinsatte noted that Colorado’s legislation allows for “greater integrated with other forms healthcare”. For example, therapists could administer psilocybin at their offices, rather than having to run a standalone clinic.
She explained that “we’ve been doing a lot to advocate for more affordable options” and “part of it is simply flexibility in options”.
Earlier this month, meanwhile, Colorado lawmakers sent the governor a bill to revise implementation rules and data-tracking provisions around the new psilocybin system and empower the governor to grant pardons to people who’ve been convicted of past psychedelics-related offenses.
This bill, should it become law, will allow Governor Polis and future governors the authority to grant pardons to those who were convicted for possession at low levels of drugs such as DMT, DMT ibogaine, psilocybin or ibogaine, substances that are legal now for adults.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment(CDPHE), Department of Revenue(DOR), and Department of Regulatory Agencies DORA would have to also “collect data and information related to the usage of natural medicines and natural medicine product.”
Included in this data would be information about law enforcement, adverse events and health claims, as well as behavioral effects related to psychedelics.
This bill is designed to create a collection of health data that will allow us to assess whether the natural medicine being rolled out has any adverse effects on the health or if it actually benefits the health.
A wide range of groups, both those who support psychedelics and others more skeptical about legalization, have endorsed the proposal. Public commenters at a hearing last month seemed to agree that the bill’s data collection provisions would help observers both inside and outside Colorado better understand the outcomes around regulated psychedelics.
Polis last month separately signed into law a bill that would allow a form of psilocybin to be prescribed as a medication if the federal government authorizes its use.
The state has a legal marijuana system. Lawmakers sent Polis an amended bill to make changes in this area, such as allowing more people to get involved and reducing certain restrictions.
The measure introduced by Reps. William Lindstedt and Jenny Willford, as well as Senators. Julie Gonzales (D), Robert Rodriguez and the bill they introduced were substantially changed in the course of the legislative session. The original measure would have allowed adults to buy twice as much marijuana from retailers licensed by the state and permitted cannabis shops and stores to run promotional events.
That came about four years after Polis signed into law a bill to increase the personal possession limit to two ounces.
Another bill, which would have limited THC in marijuana and outlawed a variety of psilocybin products, will no longer move forward this session following the lead sponsor’s move to withdraw the bill.
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