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Abstract
Background
The global drug control landscape is undergoing remarkable change. Many jurisdictions around the world, including jurisdictions in the United States, have decriminalized the possession and use of plant- and fungus-based psychedelics, such as psilocybin-containing mushrooms (PCM). With ORS 475 A, Oregon has gone a step further by becoming the first US state to legalize and regulate the cultivation, supply, and use of PCM in designated service centers.
Methods
This commentary examines recent developments and presents two arguments for an alternative strategy for legalizing PCM.
Results
First, a non-profit legal framework for the production, supply, and non-medical use of psilocybin may be more advantageous than a for-profit framework, especially for a naturally occurring mushroom that is typically not frequently used. Second, people who use drugs (PWUD) can demonstrate agency in the self-supply of drugs and in the adoption of responsible use and harm reduction practices.
Conclusion
Community or peer-based structures may offer a viable approach to ensuring a controlled supply of PCM and a safe environment for their non-medical use. An outline of a public health-oriented regulatory approach for the non-profit, community-based cultivation, supply, and use of PCM is presented. This framework may provide a regulatory pathway for policymakers to consider.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank James Wakefield for proofreading the manuscript.
Disclosure statement
The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.
Ethics statement
The authors declare that the work reported here did not require any ethics approval, as it did not involve the participation of animals or human beings.