Nature provides us with an array of medicine. In the context of APRC, plant medicines are substances found in nature that offer access to nonordinary states of consciousness. They are commonly referred to by other names: hallucinogens, psychedelics, entheogens, and empathogens to name a few. They have been used in ceremonies around the world for millennia.

During the 1950s and ’60s, there was considerable interest in the potential for psychedelics to treat mental illness and substance use. In the 1970s, political backlash against all drugs halted research and plant medicines were largely made illegal due to the broad overreach of the drug war. The US government placed many natural medicines under Schedule I drugs despite evidence showing medical benefits and anti-addictive qualities.

There has been a research resurgence in the past decade that has led to new findings and ongoing clinical trials showing promise in these substances. We are currently in the process of educating lawmakers and society on the benefits of these medicines.

Learn More? Book: Chasing The Scream By Johann Hari

Plant medicines must be consumed with education and respect and are not for everybody! APRC believes in the right to heal, SAFELY. Safe use is accomplished through education. We are here to support education on who may not be a good fit for plant medicines, contraindications and other risk-reduction information, and where to find professional support.

The Natural Medicine Health Act, Proposition 122, decriminalized the personal use and possession (for adults age 21 and older) of the following hallucinogenic/ entheogenic plants and fungi, which were classified as Schedule I controlled substances under state law going into the election (see timeline):

• dimethyltryptamine (DMT)

• ibogaine

• mescaline (excluding peyote)

• psilocybin

• psilocin

Anyone who completed a sentence following a conviction related to the personal use or possession of such psychedelic plants and fungi is set to be able to file a petition asking a court to seal the record of the conviction.

Proposition 122 was designed to:

• create a natural medicine services program for the supervised administration of such substances;

• create a framework for regulating the growth, distribution, and sale of such substances to permitted entities; and

• create the Natural Medicine Advisory Board to promulgate rules and implement the regulated access program.

The measure did not provide for retail sales of such psychedelic plants and fungi.

The Colorado legislation written in 2022 is specific to the substances mentioned in the measure (DMT, Ibogaine, Mescaline, Psilocybin, and Psilocin). These substances have a specific timeline and details are being organized by an official advisory board.

There are many plant medicines and psychedelics that are NOT included, such as:

• Coca Leaf (cocaine, coca tea, mambe)

• Peyote*

• Opium

• MDA (Sass or Sassafras)

• MDMA (molly, ecstasy)

• LSD

*Peyote is a plant medicine, defined separately from other mescaline-containing cacti under Colorado law. Peyote is ENDANGERED and illegal in the US, however, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) Amendments of 1994 gives Native Americans the legal right to use peyote for their religious services.

FAQ’s posted by the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).

https://dpo.colorado.gov