The fungus is among us! More and more, each and every day I see a steady stream of information about mushrooms, the psychedelic kind. Measure 109 in Oregon legalized psilocybin for therapeutic use and it has caused a growth in information and research into the potential of this fungus. The rules for measure 109 will be published in January.
A major component of the emerging psychedelic assisted therapy is something that is fairly old in practice: a facilitator. In other cultures, it’s called a guide, a shaman or witch but here in the west we call them a "Facilitator". The role is consistently the same as to help someone navigate the inner space of their mind to treat some malady; mental, physical, or spiritual.
A form of this has existed for over a decade by the name of Trip Sitters, and they assist in the psychedelic experience by having used these medicines with success in the past and have been doing this work for a while. For a fee they will help in around a 5-session therapy with a couple pre trip and integrating sessions round the trip itself.
However, they aren’t specifically trained in mental health and don’t have access the psychedelic medicine or even a proper space to have the experience. They will assist you in your space with your sourced medicine for a fee. Clearly there are drawbacks here and Measure 109 does things differently.
First and foremost is education and training for Facilitators in a rigorous program that includes a practicum. Second is having brick and mortar locations for the whole psychedelic experience. Last is providing the medicine that is grown, processed and tested by a state approved facility to be used for this explicit purpose.
Inner Trek is one such institution that looks to provide Facilitator training for leading seekers in psychedelic assisted therapy. It costs almost $8000.They are taking applications for the first wave of these practitioners as the law becomes solidified in 2023. In the meantime, they are hosting a psychedelic therapy conference with the help of Horizons PBC NW.
The Sheri Eckert Foundation is an arm of Inner Trek that provides scholarship opportunities to attend classes and become a certified Facilitator. Sheri was a champion of measure 109 who passed away in 2020 but left a legacy in this organization to help with low income and underserved populations. Her husband leads Inner Trek in the quest to educate psychedelic therapists.
With the surge in popularity and legalization psychedelic mushrooms are being cultivated in the mainstream. There are many DIY kits and spores available online and even a few bold shops have appeared. But there are large scale commercial growers ready in the wings too like @sacred.fruits.
Originally discovered on Instagram, @sacred.fruits uses a forward thinking approach to mushroom cultivation and distribution that was adopted from the cannabis industry to produce packaged fungus that can be discreetly delivered most anywhere. Even more radical is the talk of consistently testing the mushrooms for all alkaloids and making specific extracts. This is Back to the Future of fungus folks.
Cannabis Patients PNW is also shifting focus a bit to include these emerging plant medicines in our mission to educate the public. Our fall Clark college course will reflect this change. Please join us as we explore the spaces of physical and mental health based on research and experience for a long life.
Back to the future: History and Science of Psychedelic Drugs in Mental Health
Wednesdays, September 21 – Oct 19, 6- 8 PM via zoom.
Contact Clark College Community Education Program at (360) 992-2939.
If you are 55 and older scholarships available call (360) 992-2939
Link to Register https://www.campusce.net/clark/course/course.aspx?catId=316
TripSitters
https://www.psychedelicpassage.com/service-areas/trip-sitters-and-psychedelic-guides-in-washington/
InnerTrek
https://www.innertrek.org/program-details
Sheri Eckert Foundation
https://www.sherieckert.org/
On Instagram: @sacredfruits
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