Colorado Governor Names Psychedelic Advisory Board Members

Marijuana Moment report

The governor of Colorado has named members of a Natural Medicine Advisory Board that will help inform psychedelics policy after voters approved a ballot initiative to legalize entheogens and establish psilocybin “healing centers” last year.

Natural Medicine Advisory Board

The Natural Medicine Advisory Board will advise the Department of Regulatory Agencies on the implementation of the regulated natural medicine access program. 

for terms expiring January 31, 2025: 
  • William Dunn, NRP, FP-C, of Avon, Colorado, to serve as a representative of emergency medical services and services provided by first responders, appointed; 
  • Billy Wynne, JD, of Greenwood Village, Colorado, to serve as a representative of health care insurance and healthcare policy and public health, drug policy and harm reduction, appointed; 
  • Sofia Chavez, PhD, of Lakewood, Colorado, to serve as a representative of traditional and indigenous use and religious use of natural medicine, appointed; 
  • Bradley Conner, PhD, of Fort Collins, Colorado, to serve as a representative of natural medicine therapy, medicine and research, appointed; 
  • Wendy Buxton-Andrade of Lamar, Colorado, to serve as a representative of levels and disparities in access to health care services among different communities, appointed; 
  • Skippy Upton Mesirow of Aspen, Colorado, to serve as a representative of permitted organization criteria, appointed; 
  • Ernestine Gonzales, PhD, MA, MS, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, to serve as a representative of health care insurance and health care policy, past criminal justice reform efforts in Colorado, and disparities in access to healthcare services among different communities, appointed; 
for terms expiring January 31, 2027: 
  • Heather Lundy Nelson, MA, of Denver, Colorado, to serve as a representative of mental health and behavioral health providers and disparities in access to health care services among different communities, appointed; 
  • Dr. Suzanne Sisley of Scottsdale, Arizona, to serve as a representative of mycology and natural medicine cultivation, appointed; 
  • Katina Banks, JD, of Denver, Colorado, to serve as a representative of permitted organization criteria, appointed; 
  • Ricardo Baca of Denver, Colorado, to serve as a representative of traditional indigenous use and public health, drug policy, and harm reduction, appointed; 
  • Dr. Alisa Hannum to serve as a representative of mental and behavioral health providers and issues confronting veterans, appointed; 
  • Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD, of Denver, Colorado, to serve as a representative of traditional indigenous use and religious use, appointed; 
  • Joshua Goodwin, PhD, of Aurora, Colorado, to serve as a representative of issues confronting veterans, appointed; 
  • Sheriff David Lucero of Pueblo, Colorado, to serve as a representative of past criminal justice reform in Colorado, appointed. 

 

The 15-member board consists of scientists, researchers, academics, people familiar with psychedelic medicine and law enforcement. That includes a top researcher in the field, Arizona-based Sue Sisley, and a former cannabis journalist who now runs the PR firm Grasslands, Ricardo Baca.

Members will be responsible for studying and making recommendations on a number of issues related to the psychedelics law, which permits adults 21 and older to possess, cultivate and share certain psychedelics, while also establishing psilocybin “healing centers” in the state.

Mason Marks, a law professor at the Florida State University College of Law and co-founder of the Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation (POPLAR) at the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School, published a comprehensive breakdown of the appointees. It details the diversity of members’ backgrounds and specialties within and around the psychedelic space.

Some members’ terms expire on January 31, 2025, while others’ expires January 31, 2027.

The governor’s office also notes each appointee’s designated area of expertise. They include specializations in emergency medicine, harm reduction, indigenous use, health care disparities, mycology, veterans issues, criminal justice and more.

Baca, who previously worked as the editor of The Denver Post’s once-influential cannabis vertical The Cannabist, will focus on “indigenous use and public health, drug policy, and harm reduction.”

Read more at

Colorado Governor Names Psychedelic Advisory Board Members, Including Top Researcher And Former Cannabis Journalist

https://www.psychedelicweek.com/p/co-psilocybin-natural-medicine-advisory-board

Primary Sponsor

 


Karma Koala Podcast

Top Marijuana Blog