Colorado lawmakers gave their final approval on May 2 for a bill that seeks to improve access to therapies using natural psychedelic medicines.
Senate Bill 23-290 was introduced by Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat, in late April. It now heads to Gov. Jared Polis’ (D-CO) desk for signature, although it is unclear when he will sign the bill.
Supporters of the bill like Tasia Poinsatte, director of the Healing Advocacy Fund of Colorado, a nonprofit advocacy organization, say the bill is an important step forward toward allowing Colorado adults aged 21 and over to access natural medicines to treat conditions like depression, anxiety, and depression.
“The passage of SB 290 brings us one step closer to creating a safe, effective, and equitable psychedelic therapy system for Coloradans who are struggling with mental health conditions,” Poinsatte said in a press release.
Natural medicines were decriminalized in Colorado after voters passed Proposition 122 in November 2022. The measure specifically addressed the personal possession of natural psychedelic medicines, like magic mushrooms, but was completely silent on the overall regulatory environment that natural medicine providers will be required to operate in.
The bill’s silence on the regulatory environment was one reason why it faced a mountain of opposition while it was in the legislature. For example, religious and indigenous-use advocates argued that it didn’t go far enough to protect some patients.
Lawmakers like Republican state Sen. Bob Gardner of Colorado Springs also argued that SB-290 needed more work before it was passed.
One aspect that Gardner has previously mentioned is that the Natural Medicine Advisory Board, which is tasked with crafting the first batch of natural medicine regulations, is “full of advocates” and needs more input from people who now “the deleterious effects of these substances.”
The advisory board currently has two first responders on staff: Pueblo Sheriff David Lucero and William Dunn, chief clinical officer at Eagle County Paramedic Services.
Other advocates like Robert Rush, a lawyer in Denver, have criticized earlier versions of the bill for inadvertently criminalizing the San Pedro cactus, a common houseplant that contains mescaline. Lawmakers amended the bill 14 times before it passed both chambers of the General Assembly and removed “a lot of the bad stuff that was previously in the bill,” Rush said.
“Throughout this process, Colorado lawmakers have listened to doctors, patients, public health experts, veterans, and many others with expertise related to natural medicine therapy,” Poinsatte said. “The result is a bill that truly reflects the will of Colorado voters and compliments the strong foundation laid by Prop. 122.”
Despite the disagreements, advocates like Adam Casey, a former Marine who lives in Wheat Ridge, say the bill brings Colorado one step closer to providing veterans with the mental health support that they need.
Colorado has the 19th-highest population of military veterans in the country, but ranks among the top for veteran suicides, according to 2020 data from the Department of Veteran Affairs.
“Veterans like myself all across Colorado are struggling with mental health conditions at disproportionate rates, and it’s our duty to ensure those who have served our country have the best possible health care available,” Casey said.
