Wednesday, July 26th, 2023 from 12:00-1:30pm PST

Colorado’s Proposition 122 passed in November of 2022 and, signed into law by Colorado Governor Jared Polis through an Executive Order in January, decriminalized natural medicines, including DMT; ibogaine; mescaline (excluding peyote); psilocybin; and psilocyn. A person over 21 may now give away, without remuneration, natural medicine to another person over 21. Proposition 122 was followed up by a bill in the Colorado Legislature, now signed into law and known as SB23-290. On December 31, 2024, Colorado will begin accepting licenses for licensed facilitators, licensed facilities, and other associated licenses. As the regulations have yet to be drafted and are currently being considered through recommendations by the Colorado Natural Medicine Advisory Board at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, key questions are under consideration. Who will be permitted to conduct a “ceremony” beyond church leaders with religious exemptions? What can Colorado learn from Oregon and from key community stakeholders who initially opposed Proposition 122? How will Colorado establish indigenous reciprocity and navigate the commodification of sacred plant medicines? What is happening on the Natural Medicine Advisory Board? How will the current legal developments in Colorado potentially affect other states in the country and beyond the US?

Sean T. McAllister is an attorney specializing in the intersection of regulatory and corporate law, and also is an experienced commercial litigator. He has been a leader in the emerging industries of cannabis, hemp, and psychedelic medicines. Sean is licensed to practice law in Colorado and California. His work in psychedelics has included: Advised clients on what is allowed in cities that have decriminalized psychedelics; Advised clients looking to obtain a religious exemption from criminal law for the use of psychedelics under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act; Seeking DEA licensure for companies to manufacture Schedule I drugs lawfully in the United States; Steering committee member on Colorado’s Natural Medicine Health Act; Executive Officer of the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel, 2020; Chair of the Board of Directors for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants.

Natasia Poinsatte is the Colorado State Director of the Healing Advocacy Fund, a nonprofit that supports implementation of safe, high quality, and equitable psychedelic therapies. Tasia helped guide the passage of Proposition 122, Colorado’s Natural Medicine Health Act, as Research Director at the Denver consulting firm RBI Strategies. She has conducted research and advised strategy for successful campaigns and ballot initiatives in Colorado, across the US, and internationally. Prior to joining RBI, Tasia worked across the public, private and nonprofit sectors in the US, Chile, and Ghana. She holds a Master’s in Global Economic Affairs from the University of Denver Josef Korbel School.

Sam Bahrami is the Senior Advisor on Natural Medicine Services at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies and the acting Program Director for the Colorado Natural Medicine Advisory Board at the Division of Professions and Occupations. In his role he oversees the Natural Medicine Program and the  Board and works closely with Colorado state agencies to ensure effective communication, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.

Veronica Lightning Horse Perez is Co/chief proponent of the Natural Medicine Healing Alliance of 2022 in Colorado. She believes awareness, equity and harm reduction in the psychedelic realm is paramount to our relationships with each other, our ability to heal individually and as a community and our shared relationship with our very wounded Mother Earth. She has served in a healing capacity most of her life but only fully stepped into that role for the past decade and is now Certified in 8 different healing modalities. She is called a Medicine Person. She is also an entrepreneur, wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, activist and volunteer. Her mission is to serve in any capacity she is called to, in order to alleviate suffering and help people through their trauma back into their strength and power. She is of mixed Indigenous ancestry, and speaks for herself as a woman of color, not for Indigenous people or any BIPOC community.

Jamie Beachy PhD, MDiv, is a professional chaplain, spiritual care educator, and ethics consultant with experience in palliative care, hospice, and trauma care. Jamie was a sub-investigator for MAPS Phase 3 clinical trials researching the safety and efficacy of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for the treatment of PTSD and currently serves as an MDMA-AT associate supervisor. Jamie developed degree program offerings and curricula related to psychedelic therapies as Director of Education and Co-founder of Naropa University’s Center for Psychedelic Studies. Jamie sits on the Board of Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. She lives in the mountains above Boulder with her husband Wael Garas, an integrative physician.

Unpacking the Implementation of Prop 122 in Colorado