County voters to decide on temporary psilocybin ban
Jul. 28—The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday night advanced an ordinance that would put a proposed two-year ban on psilocybin businesses on the November ballot.
Oregon voters approved Measure 109 in November 2020. The measure — the first of its kind in the country — allows psilocybin to be manufactured and delivered to a state-licensed service center, where the drug can be dispensed to people 21 and older. The measure passed in Clatsop County 55% to 45%.
Studies indicate that psilocybin, a psychedelic found in so-called "magic mushrooms," can help treat depression, anxiety, trauma and other conditions. The drug remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance under federal law.
Oregon Health Authority regulations on how the drug can be manufactured, transported and administered are due to arrive in late December. The health authority will start accepting licensing applications in early January.
The moratorium, which applies to the county's unincorporated areas, is intended to give county staff time to craft their own restrictions about the time, place and manner that go further than state regulations.
