ORS 475A.200 Legislative findings

The People of the State of Oregon find that:

Oregon has one of the highest prevalences of mental illness among adults in the nation;

An estimated one in every five adults in Oregon is coping with a mental health condition;

The Governor has declared addiction as a public health crisis in this state;

The 2019-2021 Governor’s Budget proposes spending over $2.8 billion on mental health and behavioral health programs;

Studies conducted by nationally and internationally recognized medical institutions indicate that psilocybin has shown efficacy, tolerability, and safety in the treatment of a variety of mental health conditions, including but not limited to addiction, depression, anxiety disorders, and end-of-life psychological distress;

The United States Food and Drug Administration has:

Determined that preliminary clinical evidence indicates that psilocybin may demonstrate substantial improvement over available therapies for treatment-resistant depression; and

Granted a Breakthrough Therapy designation for a treatment that uses psilocybin as a therapy for such depression;

The Oregon Health Authority has direct supervision of all matters relating to the preservation of life and health of the people of this state;

During a two-year program development period, the authority should:

Examine, publish, and distribute to the public available medical, psychological, and scientific studies, research, and other information relating to the safety and efficacy of psilocybin in treating mental health conditions; and

Adopt rules and regulations for the eventual implementation of a comprehensive regulatory framework that will allow persons 21 years of age and older in this state to be provided psilocybin services; and

An advisory board should be established within the authority for the purpose of advising and making recommendations to the authority.