Castle Rock Postpones Vote on Psychedelic Mushroom Business Regulations

Castle Rock officials have postponed a vote on new regulations governing psychedelic mushroom businesses after local industry representatives called for more leniency.

The city council is considering an ordinance to restrict the operation of naturopathic medicine and treatment centers that facilitate the use of psilocybin or other natural medicines. The ordinance would limit operations to light and general industrial areas and require them to be at least 1,000 feet from schools, child care facilities or residential homes.

The regulation also limits working hours to 8:00-17:00 on weekdays.

The council decided to postpone the vote on the ordinance after hearing from several local doctors who said the bill would prevent them from treating existing patients.

Beth Jauquet, owner and consultant at Primalized Health Consultants, said the proposed regulation would hurt her clinic’s business. Jauquet said her clinic complies with state regulations and makes it easy to use natural medicines.

“Further restrictions on locations and hours of operation would prevent us from providing services to the community and make this medicine inaccessible to those who truly need it,” Jauquet said.

Council members supported the restrictive regulations, with some saying they would prefer to ban naturopathy-related businesses in the city.

“I don’t want this here at all,” Councilman Tim Dietz said.

However, unlike marijuana legalization, city governments cannot ban natural medicine businesses, but they can regulate the location of such businesses and some operational matters, such as setting opening hours.

State law allows natural healing centers where people use natural medicines with facilities, and natural medicine businesses to grow, manufacture and test. Selling psilocybin or other natural medicines is still illegal.

Jauquet and Richard Myers, another owner of Primalized Health Consultants, told the council about the benefits they’ve seen in helping veterans recover from post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as how others have found success in dealing with substance abuse.

Myers also spoke about his own experiences with natural medicine.

“This medication saved my life and allowed me to be a valuable member of society in a way that I love,” Myers said.

After hearing from Jauquet and Myers, council members asked staff whether they could amend the ordinance to allow grandfathered entities to acquire existing businesses.

“I don’t like the idea of ​​being — for lack of a better word — a guinea pig,” said Castle Rock Mayor Jason Gray. “But I also don’t want to shut down businesses that are legally allowed to open in Castle Rock and legally help people.”

Council member Max Brooks said he has mixed feelings about the legislation and worries the city is overreacting.

“We’re talking about micro-doses under the supervision of a licensed physician for therapeutic purposes, not someone who makes an appointment with a hookah shop to get high,” Brooks said. “I wonder if we’re being a little too sensitive and insensitive to some of the benefits.”

Dietz and Councilwoman Laura Cavey opposed continuing the vote and easing the proposed restrictions.

“It feels like a stepping stone, like medicinal marijuana, to something else that is not legal and that we don’t want in this community,” Cavey said.

Related