Oregon Votes to Legalize Psilocybin Therapy and Decriminalize Small Quantities of Hard Drugs

Oregon is poised to become the first state in the nation to legalize therapeutic use of psilocybin, also known as "magic mushrooms."

A needle return on Portland's Central Eastside. (Brian Burk)
By Tess Riski

Oregon voters tonight passed Measures 109 and 110, which legalize psilocybin therapy and decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs, respectively.

Early returns show that Oregonians voted in favor of Measure 109 by a margin of 56% to 43%, meaning Oregon will likely be the first state in the country to legalize the use of psilocybin, a hallucinogen derived from what's known colloquially as "magic mushrooms." The measure allows people 21 and older to take doses of psilocybin within licensed clinics and under the supervision of professional therapists.

The psilocybin program would be managed by the Oregon Health Authority, which would have the power to grant, renew and revoke licenses. There is a two-year implementation period for the measure to get up and running. That means January 2023 will be the soonest such clinics will get up and running.

Oregonians also passed Measure 110, 59% to 40%. That makes Oregon the first state in the nation to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of hard drugs.

Measure 110, which received financial backing from tech titans Mark and Priscilla Zuckerberg, decriminalizes personal-use amounts of Schedule I drugs, including heroin, methamphetamines, MDMA and cocaine. Selling hard drugs remains illegal.

It also establishes a drug treatment plan funded in part by about $100 million of the state's cannabis tax. The measure establishes a commission under the umbrella of the Oregon Health Authority to redirect cannabis taxes to treatment services statewide.

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