Oregon Becomes the First U.S. State to Legalize Psilocybin

In an expected win for the nascent psychedelics industry, Oregon voters passed Measure 29 last night, legalizing the supervised use of psilocybin for medicinal purposes.

The Measure passed by a 56.1 percent vote, bringing victory to the well-funded initiative helmed by husband-and-wife team Sheri and Thomas Eckert.

The Eckerts are both psychotherapists and advocates for the use of psychedelics in managing mental health issues including treatment-resistant depression and PTSD.

The law allows for a two-year period to develop regulations around the use of the substance. Users will have to be at least 21 years old and taken under supervision by a licensed facility.

“We need options. And this is a valid therapeutic option that could help thousands of people,” Tom Eckert told The Oregonian in September.

Oregon voters also passed legislation that decriminalizes possession of psychedelics. That highly publicized measure received millions in funding from organic soap company, Dr. Bronner’s. The measure is similar to legislation in other cities including Denver; Oakland and Santa Cruz, Calif., and Ann Arbor, Mich.

Voters in Washington D.C. on Tuesday also approved a measure to decriminalize psychedelics in the nation’s capital. That vote now goes to D.C. Council for approval before heading to Congress.