Home / Health / Oregon's Psychedelic Dream Fades: High Costs, Low Diversity
Oregon's Psychedelic Dream Fades: High Costs, Low Diversity
12 Dec
Summary
- Psilocybin service centers dropped by a third since program launch.
- Session costs can reach $3,000, excluding many potential clients.
- Most legal psilocybin users in Oregon are white and earn over $95,000.
Five years after Oregon legalized psilocybin for therapeutic use, its groundbreaking program is struggling with significant growing pains. The number of licensed service centers has decreased by nearly a third, and many facilitators are not renewing their licenses due to financial difficulties.
The high cost of psilocybin sessions, sometimes reaching $3,000, coupled with the absence of insurance coverage, makes this novel treatment inaccessible to a broad population. Furthermore, current data indicates that the majority of individuals participating in these sessions are white and have high incomes, raising concerns about inclusivity.
Despite these hurdles, advocates point to the program's safety record, with severe adverse reactions being rare among thousands of participants. Efforts are underway to adapt, with some centers exploring microdosing and community-based sessions to lower costs and expand reach, while legislative changes may soon allow medical professionals to discuss psilocybin, potentially opening doors for insurance coverage.
