Two local mushroom businesses and the Western Colorado Mycological Association recently hosted a forum for community members about Colorado’s Proposition 122 and how legislation related to Natural Medicines may roll out in the coming year. Part of the forum included discussions of safety-
"I do think that there's a major ethical component to this. That's one of the areas that I'm most concerned about, is safety. Any time that we're in a therapeutic relationship we're in a power position. They're basically there for you to help them and they're looking for you to be the professional. So I think that, some of that regulation and some of those licenses are really important because I think it's important to keep people safe, and this is an area that has had some abuse. People have been taken advantage because you're in a space where you're not completely yourself, and so we're there to help people in a space where they are at their most vulnerable. And so that they're not being re-traumatized or re-hurt because that's why they're coming to us, for help."
That was Mary Michael Haley, a local psychotherapist.
Panel members also made points in support of providing both clinical and community use environments once more legislation is established. Although a similar bill has been introduced in Oregon, several experts reminded the forum that Colorado’s move that includes decriminalization is vastly different compared to Oregon’s legalization of mushrooms.
Attorney Joshua Kappel spoke more about legal concerns:
" I don't see the federal government coming after anyone who are working with these medicines to heal. Whether or not that's like hey, you're starting a large-scale mushroom chocolate company and shipping all them over the country that's a different story. You know, on the commercialization side. But when it comes to like, using these mushrooms to heal that doesn't.
With that said, will a park ranger write you a ticket if they find mushrooms? Probably. They do it still with cannabis."
Kappel emphasized the importance of understanding that the substances involved in Prop 122 will be legal to possess, use, and grow in Colorado but Prop 122 does not allow for the sale of the medicines. For more information, the entire forum video can be viewed on the Hamilton’s Mushrooms Facebook page.
