Legalizing Medical Mushrooms
Editor's note: This is part three of a multi-part series covering the 2020 Oregon General Election ballot measures.
After spending the eye-popping sum of nearly $1.5 million dollars to place this measure on the ballot
New Approach PAC will present Measure 109 to the voters. That's over $13 per required signature and one almost can't help but wonder if so much has to be spent per signature, maybe it's not going to be all that popular.
New Approach PAC is a Washington, DC based, super-PAC that has it's sights set on drug legalization on a state-by-state basis. In the wake of Measure 90 in 2014, it's almost as if national drug-legalization efforts have their sights set on Oregon as a semi-willing victim. The basic proposal is to legalize psilocybic mushrooms for medical use. Research has shown that they may have some efficacy for treating PTSD, drug abuse and other disorders.
Despite the dubious record of the cumbersome process for drug approval under the onerous shadow of "big pharma," one wonders if the initiative process is any better of a way to approve medicine. The lesson here might be that if you establish too excessive of a regulatory bureaucracy, one way or the other, we the people will prevail and get our way.
Oregon is proud of the fact that it is the first in many policy areas. Voters may not wish to make Oregon the first state to legalize "magic mushrooms." Other drugs have testing, known potency, accepted dosages and we already have dispensaries called drugstores. Voter approved pharmaceuticals bypass some of the structures we have to reduce problems.
This is the official title for the measure, as provided by the Attorney General, as it will appear on the ballot:
Allows manufacture, delivery, administration of psilocybin at supervised, licensed
facilities;
imposes two-year development period
Result of “Yes†Vote: Allows manufacture, delivery, administration of psilocybin (psychoactive mushroom) at supervised,
licensed facilities; imposes two-year development period. Creates enforcement/taxation system, advisory board, administration fund.
Result of “No†Vote: “No†vote retains current law, which prohibits manufacture, delivery, and possession of psilocybin and imposes misdemeanor or felony criminal penalties.
Summary: Currently, federal and state laws prohibit the manufacture, delivery, and possession of psilocybin (psychoactive mushroom). Initiative amends state law to require Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to establish Oregon Psilocybin Services Program to allow licensed/regulated production, processing, delivery, possession of psilocybin exclusively for administration of “psilocybin services†(defined) by licensed “facilitator†(defined) to “qualified client†(defined). Grants OHA authority to
implement, administer, and enforce program. Imposes two-year development period before implementation of program. Establishes fund for program administration and governor-appointed advisory board that must initially include one measure sponsor; members are compensated. Imposes packaging, labeling, and dosage requirements. Requires sales tax for retail psilocybin. Preempts local laws inconsistent with program except “reasonable regulations†(defined). Exempts licensed/regulated activities from
criminal penalties. Other provisions.
| Major donations to PSI 2020 |
| Date | Donor | Amount |
| 09/04/2020 | Yes for Psilocybin Therapy (20657) | $45,000 |
| 07/17/2020 | Adam Wiggins | $20,000 |
| 07/15/2020 | Adam Wiggins | $25,000 |
| 07/09/2020 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $40,000 |
| 06/30/2020 | David Menschel | $1,000 |
| 06/19/2020 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $80,000 |
| 06/15/2020 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $65,000 |
| 06/09/2020 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $40,000 |
| 06/03/2020 | John Gilmore | $9,981 |
| 05/22/2020 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $80,000 |
| 05/11/2020 | Sasha Cajkovich | $10,000 |
| 05/10/2020 | Ron Beller | $9,952 |
| 05/10/2020 | Mark Farr | $1,738 |
| 04/19/2020 | Robert Faust | $1,000 |
| 04/19/2020 | Jeffrey Zucker | $2,500 |
| 04/15/2020 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $60,000 |
| 04/12/2020 | Megan Frost | $1,000 |
| 04/12/2020 | Timothy Kutscha | $2,000 |
| 03/24/2020 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $50,000 |
| 03/17/2020 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $50,000 |
| 03/15/2020 | Robert Hanson | $1,000 |
| 03/13/2020 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $50,000 |
| 03/06/2020 | Benjamin Halper | $1,000 |
| 03/06/2020 | Kristyn Judkins | $2,500 |
| 03/06/2020 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $50,000 |
| 03/03/2020 | Adam Wiggins | $15,000 |
| 02/25/2020 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $50,000 |
| 02/07/2020 | Field Trip Psychedelics Inc | $10,000 |
| 01/21/2020 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $225,000 |
| 12/20/2019 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $150,000 |
| 11/19/2019 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $100,000 |
| 10/18/2019 | New Approach PAC - 527 organization | $10,000 |
| 08/14/2019 | PSI 2020 (19606) | $58,372 |
--Ben Fisher| Post Date: 2020-10-08 11:42:14 | Last Update: 2020-10-02 16:01:08 |
