The potential legalization of magic mushrooms is heading to Olympia next week as state lawmakers prepare to hear testimony on two bills that could change the landscape of mental health treatment.
State legislators have attempted to model a program based on Oregon’s Psilocybin Services Act for the past few years. While Beaver State residents passed a measure in 2020, the Evergreen State has failed to get the ball rolling on its side of the Columbia River since 2022.
Oregon’s approval legalized the supervised use of psilocybin for adults over 21 years old. The state program allows trained facilitators to administer the substance under controlled settings.
Sen. Jesse Salomon, D-Shoreline, started the movement in Olympia in 2022 and hasn’t given up since. He proposed Senate Bill 5201 this year, which picked up bipartisan cosponsors, and there’s also a nearly identical companion, House Bill 1433, to increase the chances of passing.
“Many individuals report having profound experiences after taking psychedelic substances creating lasting impressions and inspiring positive change in their lives,” according to SB 5201 and HB 1433.
The proposals add that clinical trials have shown the substance to be “a promising practice for the treatment of conditions such as substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, treatment-resistant depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and other serious maladies.”
