County, Seaside temporarily ban psilocybin

Nov. 9—Voters in Clatsop County and Seaside on Tuesday enacted two-year bans on psilocybin operations.

Measure 4-219 gives the county time to craft time, place and manner restrictions for the manufacturing, distribution and dispensing of psilocybin for therapeutic use in unincorporated areas. Measure 4-218 does the same for psilocybin service centers and manufacturing products in Seaside.

The county measure was passing by about 56% to 44%, the Seaside measure by about 58% to 42%.

Mark Kujala, chairman of the county Board of Commissioners, said in a text message that the commission is pleased voters agreed to provide the county additional time to prepare for the rollout of psilocybin businesses.

He said the county will work with the Oregon Health Authority, local city leaders and residents of unincorporated areas to determine if any restrictions should be enacted before the moratorium expires.

The county and Seaside were looking to head off the fallout of Measure 109, passed by Oregon voters two years ago. That measure allows patients 21 and older to ingest psilocybin — a psychedelic found in so-called "magic mushrooms" — at licensed service centers as treatment for conditions such as trauma, anxiety and depression.

Although psilocybin, like marijuana, remains illegal under federal law and classified as a Schedule 1 drug, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has deemed the drug a breakthrough therapy for types of depression.

Oregon is the first state in the U.S. to permit the drug.

The health authority is scheduled to release state regulations for psilocybin operations by the year's end, shortly before people can start applying for licenses to set up psilocybin ventures in January.

The temporary bans are allowed under state law to give counties and cities the option of devising local restrictions that go further than the health authority's rules.

If the county finalizes its own regulations before the two years are up, county commissioners can lift the freeze sooner.

Sheriff Matt Phillips, who opposed Measure 109, has said that, at minimum, a moratorium would be a good thing. He is critical of Oregon's permissive attitudes toward substance use as evidenced by the passage of both Measure 109 and Measure 110 in 2020. Measure 110 decriminalized drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine and emphasized treatment.

Voters' approval of the county's temporary ban on psilocybin, he said, "gives the citizens of Clatsop County more time to assess this issue."

Cannon Beach has adopted time, place and manner restrictions on psilocybin operations.