Colorado’s Psychedelics Advisory Board Faces Challenges in Establishing Regulated Access Scheme

LOS ANGELES– Colorado’s first-ever psychedelics advisory board meeting took place last week to establish a regulated access scheme for mind-bending therapeutics, which were approved by voters in November. The board’s initial focus, however, is on questions rather than answers, with the advisory board having until Sept. 30 to make its initial recommendations.

The Natural Medicine Advisory Board’s various subcommittees will convene over the next week to determine their goals and the questions that must be answered to create a comprehensive program. Subcommittee discussions will begin with emergency response, safety, and ethics, highlighting the absence of a structured framework in this field, as only one state in the US, Oregon, has successfully launched a psychedelics program so far.

During the subcommittee meeting, subcommittee member Joshua Goodwin, CEO and founder of mental health company True North Colorado, raised a pressing question about the services that will be provided, stating, “What I need to know upfront is, how do we view the services provided?” The concern was whether the program would adopt a conventional medical focus or one resembling wellness endeavors, such as yoga studios.

The board explored a wide range of questions in the meeting, including what informed consent for program participation entails and whether facilitators could also ingest psychedelic substances during sessions, among others. Although the meeting did not provide any answers, it opened up numerous topics that the board needs to address to create a successful program.