Colorado Police to get psychedelic training
With the imminent launch of Colorado's legalized psilocybin program in 2024, state authorities and emergency responders are currently developing training initiatives to distinguish between challenging psychedelic experiences and genuine medical emergencies.
A little over a year post the approval of Proposition 122 by voters, which legalized medical psilocybin and decriminalized personal use of various psychedelics, the recently formed Natural Medicine Division (NMD) within the Colorado Department of Revenue has been assigned the responsibility of licensing and overseeing psilocybin production and sales. Besides this regulatory role, the NMD is also tasked with formulating guidelines for law enforcement and medical professionals responding to incidents involving psychedelics. These incidents can vary significantly based on factors such as the specific substance, dosage, and individual user.
While the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) is tasked with establishing training requirements for licensed psychedelic therapists and administrators, legislators have mandated that the NMD collaborate with first responders, including police officers, paramedics, dispatchers, mental health professionals, and veterinarians. Although the guidelines set by the NMD are not legally binding, unlike those of DORA, Dominique Mendiola, the executive director of NMD, envisions a statewide collaboration similar to the one that unfolded following the legalization of marijuana.
Mendiola, who also leads the state Marijuana Enforcement Division, draws parallels between formulating policies for legal marijuana and psychedelics, citing challenges related to home cultivation enforcement, illegal activities, and appropriate medical treatment for over-intoxication.
"We want to ensure what we are doing ultimately enhances awareness about these new laws and supports consistency in how first responders enforce new laws and how they serve the public," she mentioned during a November 13 NMD meeting, emphasizing the importance of understanding the existing landscape.
Colorado, following Oregon, is the second state to legalize medical psilocybin, and it has access to over twenty state-approved training programs in Oregon. However, Oregon did not decriminalize personal cultivation and possession of psilocybin, DMT, mescaline, and ibogaine. Psilocybin facilitators and production facilities in Colorado are expected to start applying for business licenses by late next year, with DMT, mescaline, and ibogaine up for state review for medical legalization by 2026.
A federal grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has enabled Colorado to employ an expert capable of educating law enforcement about various drugs, including psychedelics, according to Tim Lane, legislative liaison for the Colorado District Attorneys' Council.
Lane acknowledges that the NMD likely aims to address more than just impairment recognition, and first responders may find themselves dealing with complex situations. Psychedelics industry consultant Jordan Liester highlighted the potential for individuals undergoing challenging experiences to revert to past trauma, posing a challenge in distinguishing between a traumatic episode and psychosis.
Registered nurse Erica Messinger, specializing in community and rural health, stressed the importance of screening processes for individuals seeking psychedelic therapy. She suggested that training programs should cover interactions of psychedelic or natural medicine with other drugs to ensure a comprehensive understanding of potential reactions.
While certain substances, such as benzodiazepines and serotonin receptor blockers, can counteract psychedelic over-consumption, Messinger emphasized the necessity for first responders to know "when and how to use those versus, you know, letting them kind of ride it out in a challenging experience."
The NMD, recognizing the need for safer interactions between first responders and individuals who have consumed psychedelics, is considering a shift toward more mental health professionals and fewer armed police officers. The agency is also developing materials for law enforcement regarding Colorado's psychedelics possession laws to avoid legally disputed searches, seizures, or arrests. Presently, there are no possession limits for adults aged 21 and older, though criminal penalties exist for selling psychedelics or providing them to minors.
Mendiola stated that the NMD's training materials will emphasize practices to prevent arrests, hospitalization, and involuntary mental health commitments. However, she acknowledges that certain behavioral experiences are inherent to some psychedelics.
The NMD plans to conduct three additional public listening sessions on legal psychedelics implementation before the year concludes. Collaborating with DORA and the state Department of Public Health and Environment, the new agency intends to submit public rulemaking recommendations early next year.