In January 2023, the state of Oregon became the first US state to allow controlled consumption on psilocybinactive psychedelic ingredient in nad 200 individual species of a “magic mushroom”. It is known for causing intense changes in a person’s consciousness and perception.
Like other countries can also accept the substance Oregon Health Authority (OHA) specifically signed at controlled psilocybin service centers. Once triggered, adults 21 and older can come to these spaces to consume a form of psilocybin called Psilocybe cubensis, safe and secure.
The trick to this framework is that psilocybin consumption can happen in these centers and only in these centers. And that’s where state-certified “facilitators” step in, administering the substance and overseeing all the trips that mushrooming the substance triggers.
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Although these service centers are expected to start opening soon, sometime in 2023, there are still a few questions swirling around their work. For example, who will oversee these “magic mushroom” trips and what exactly will the task entail?
Supervised caves
Designed to ensure users stay safe during their journey WOW urges facilitators to screen users for any conditions which can cause unfavorable response to psilocybin. The agency also adds that they must advise, approve and supply the right amount of psilocybin appropriate for specific clients and create a comfortable, supportive space, preparing them for their journey and providing integration services afterwards. And all of this requires training.
In fact, to assume the title of facilitator, one must complete one of several state approved training programs. The instruction covers various topics related to psilocybin, including its chemical composition and purpose, process and safety from its consumption. These programs also contain personal components in which learners “facilitate and observe the facilitation of unusual states of consciousness.”
After completing their program and passing their final test, trainees who are found to be fully “qualified to provide psilocybin services” can then Apply for OHA approval to put their learning into practice.
Although these training programs are open to the majority of Oregonians, some are filled with people related to the fields of psychology and psychiatry, including experienced therapists and trauma specialists. Many of these trainees believe that psilocybin can treat the underlying causes of certain mental conditions much more thoroughly than the most common treatments currently in the field, including prescription drugs.
Shrooms support
In fact, it is believed to promote reorganization and restructuring of the brain, scientists suspect that psychedelics can cause people with mental illness to adopt more positive thought patterns.
Psilocybinin particular, shows considerable potential such as treating depression, anxiety and a number of other ailments. It also supports “breakthrough therapy” status from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which allows its ongoing participation in clinical trials.
Although negative physical reactions to psychedelics remain rare, WOW requires facilitators to recognize these reactions and respond immediately if clients need additional medical attention. In addition, facilitators are also meant to serve as a source of dispassionate, non-intrusive support, supporting people on their journey without shaping or suppressing their thoughts and feelings.