The city is seeking community members with expertise in natural medicine, public health, public safety, youth advocacy, social justice and tribal and indigenous interests.
The city and county of Denver is looking for public input to help develop its psilocybin regulatory framework.
Following local and state ballot initiatives in 2019 and 2022 addressing “natural medicine,” the Colorado General Assembly passed Colorado Senate Bill 23-290 in 2023, authorizing local jurisdictions to adopt local licenses for natural-medicine healing centers, cultivation facilities, manufacturing and testing facilities.
The Department of Excise and Licenses said it is forming a working group with representatives from various Denver government agencies and stakeholders to review, discuss and make recommendations on local natural-medicine policy.
The department also said it is seeking community members and stakeholders with expertise in natural medicine, public health, public safety, youth advocacy, social justice and tribal and indigenous interests to serve on the group. The deadline to apply is March 13 at 5 p.m.
The city will hold four virtual meetings between March and June.
“We’re determined to follow a similar process in exploring regulations like Denver did when we became the first city in America with legalized recreational marijuana sales,” said Molly Duplechian, executive director of the Department of Excise and Licenses. “We will use the Denver collaborative approach with many Denver government agencies working together with the community and various stakeholders to look at how we can protect public health and safety while also achieving the will of the voters who supported state and local ballot initiatives in 2019 and 2022.”
A report created by the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Panel in 2021 will serve as a “baseline” for the working group, the city noted. The panel formed as a result of Initiative 301, which decriminalized personal possession, cultivation and storage of psilocybin mushrooms in the city and county of Denver. Voters passed Initiative 301 in May 2019.
“The department would use recommendations from the work group to propose any necessary ordinance changes to City Council before the state begins issuing licenses,” the city explained in a news release.