Psilocybin-assisted therapy: How it works in Colorado and Oregon

Dee Lafferty, one of the first licensed psilocybin therapists in the country, poses for a portrait outside of Inner Guidance Services Inc. in Albany, Ore., on July 5, 2023. Lafferty moved to Oregon from West Virginia seven years ago, where she had seen the negative impact opioids were having on the region. In 2017, she started her private therapy practice, with training in therapeutic uses of MDMA, ketamine and psilocybin. (Photo by Kristina Barker/Special to The Denver Post) — Dee Lafferty, one of the first licensed psilocybin therapists in the country, poses for a portrait outside of Inner Guidance Services Inc. in Albany, Ore., on July 5, 2023. Lafferty moved to Oregon seven years ago from West Virginia, where she had seen the negative impact opioids were having on the region. In 2017, she started her private therapy practice, with training in therapeutic uses of MDMA, ketamine and psilocybin. (Photo by Kristina Barker/Special to The Denver Post)

By Tiney Ricciardi | cricciardi@denverpost.com | The Denver Post

PUBLISHED: September 3, 2023 at 6:00 AM MDT | UPDATED: September 3, 2023 at 6:03 AM MDT

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Colorado became the second state to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy, and regulators are now developing rules to govern the new industry, from licensing workers in the space to product testing and compliance.

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How does psilocybin-assisted therapy work in Colorado and Oregon?

Regulators are still crafting rules for Colorado, but standards have emerged underground and in Oregon

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