Psilocybin on the agenda: City council considers restrictions for natural medicine state program
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Colorado Springs City Council heard a presentation detailing what restrictions on natural medicines could be implemented ahead of the statewide licensing rollout for the cultivation, manufacture, testing, and clinical use of psilocybin and psilocin.
Psilocybin and psilocin are both hallucinogenic chemical compounds found in certain types of mushrooms. Essentially, they're what makes magic mushrooms magic.
Starting in 2025, Colorado state officials will start licensing people and companies to cultivate, manufacture, test, and use psilocybin and psilocin in a clinical setting.
During Tuesday's work session Kevin Walker, the city's planning director, made a presentation about possible restrictions that could be put into place in Colorado Springs. A city spokesperson told KRDO13 Investigates that Lynette Crow-Iverson, council president pro tem is spearheading the issue.
Two possible zoning restrictions were presented during the work session.
One might remind you of a marijuana zoning restriction the city council passed back in September. It would bar natural healing centers within one mile of school, daycare/childcare facilities, and rehab facilities.
The other map shows a 1,000-foot restriction for those already mentioned facilities.
The state already requires 1,000 feet of separation from a childcare center, school, or residential
childcare facility.
"At the end of the day, if there's no facilitators or healing centers and there can't be any, you know, in the Colorado Springs area, there's really no need for cultivators, manufacturers," Zach Dorsett, operations manager for Wonderbags told KRDO13 Investigates.
Wonderbags sells mushroom grow bags, both for food and medicinal purposes. Dorsett says they are considering obtaining a manufacturing license with the state so that in 2025 they can start selling products with psilocybin and psilocin.
But that could change, he says, if the city institutes a one-mile zoning ordinance.
"I think, barriers like those that are being proposed, would be pretty, pretty big deal breakers for people that want to open a healing center, operate a facilitation business, or do anything in that in this space at all," Dorsett said. "At the end of the day we want to serve our local community."
