Almost three years after Oregon voters approved psilocybin legalization for healing purposes, centers offering mushrooms are now open to the public. With no cannabis-style dispensaries permitted, access is limited to these “service centers,” where you pay fees to use the drug under trained supervision. Oregon’s highly regulated system is making psilocybin expensive—prohibitively so, for many people who might benefit.
Oregon voters’ approval of Measure 109 in 2020 was a historic moment for the psychedelic movement. But non-therapeutic access, home-growing and sharing of psilocybin are all still banned, so it isn’t “legalization” in the broadly understood sense. Instead, it’s a form of strictly limited legal access for adults—who don’t need a prescription or medical diagnosis, but must, in almost all cases, be able to pay high fees.
Regulations are designed to ensure that all mushroom products are produced by licensed growers in specified sanitary conditions. They must labelled and tested for any contaminants before consumption. Service centers need their own licenses, and must employ licensed “facilitators,” who sit with individuals during their trip and watch for any harmful side effects. Oregon allows anyone with a high school education to become a facilitator, but they must complete a training program approved by the state.
The state requires that each service center client undergo a “preparation” session with their facilitator, where they discuss what to expect. During the hours-long psilocybin “administration” session, the client must remain at the center under the facilitator’s supervision. Afterwards, the client is given the option of an “integration” session, where they discuss how their trip went.
“We are incredibly busy trying to make sure that our clients are served well, that our business survives, and that we are in compliance with the Oregon rules.”
Licensing fees, training, growing regulations, service center costs, and the cost of many hours of facilitators’ time all add up to help make legal psilocybin in Oregon very expensive. When psilocybin can be obtained for as little as $20 a dose in the illicit market, that market is sure to continue alongside the legal model. Some providers are offering discounts for groups, and for microdose services that require clients to spend less time on site.
Currently, six operating service centers are listed in the Oregon Health Authority’s online directory. Another two are operating without being listed. In an email to Filter, Angela E. Allbee, manager of OHA’s Psilocybin Services Section, explained that licensed providers are given the option of whether to publish their contact information in the directory. She confirmed there are currently eight licensed psilocybin service centers.
Here’s what we know about the six that are listed:
EPIC was the first service center to receive a license from the state, as Filter previously reported. Its service is run by Cathy Jonas, a licensed clinical social worker. EPIC was the first center to post a price guide: Individual sessions started at $500 for a microdose, ranging to $3,500 for a high dose. Group sessions would see each participant charged a somewhat discounted rate.
However, that price guide, published in May, is now unavailable, and EPIC does not list prices on its websites, simply stating it works with Radiant Heart Consulting to provide both individual and group rates. That company also doesn’t list prices.
The center says that it does offer sliding-scale pricing for qualifying clients, and collects donations to provide financial aid for clients on lower incomes. As of August 25, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting, the company had treated 16 clients since opening in June—and had 3,500 people on a waitlist.
Founded by Heidi Venture, Vital Reset was licensed in June and opened in July.
The company offers a free consultation, but doesn’t yet publicly offer any pricing details. “We are working to make some sessions as affordable as possible for people without means,” its website states. “We will also offer highly curated experiences. We are seeing other psilocybin service centers’ costs ranging between $3,000-$15,000 per journey. We hope to be more affordable than that, but many costs such as banking and liability insurance are not yet available.”
Venture told Filter that Vital Reset has so far seen 18 clients. “We are incredibly busy trying to make sure that our clients are served well, that our business survives, and that we are in compliance with the Oregon rules,” she said.
“We have had some clients get a little too far off the ground,” she continued. “They did come back! It’s really exciting being part of this new developing industry. It’s important to us that people have access and can find healing for depression and PTSD, and hope at end of life.”
“We’re very grateful to be able to do this work,” Venture concluded. “I mean, seriously, we come to work every day and help people use mushrooms to help themselves. It’s the best job in the world.”
Satya Inc., as Filter previously reported, is a licensed psilocybin manufacturer, growing mushrooms that are now being sold to service centers. Andreas Mat is the CEO of both Satya Inc. and Satya Therapeutics, which operates a service center that opened for business in late July.
According to Satya Therapeutics’ website, clients pay a range of prices. The company rents a room to clients for $400-$500, and charges $80.50 for the drug itself, tax included. Its individual facilitators, listed on the website, each charge their own fees, from $750 up to $2,800. “So services will vary in cost between $1,250 to $2,800 when you add up the pieces,” the company states. “We can work with you on facilitator selection to try to get you in the price range you are looking for.”
Satya has no waitlist, and asks clients to schedule an appointment immediately. The company has seen 28 clients in roughly the first month since it opened, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Inner Guidance Services Inc. is owned by Dee Lafferty, who also has a local private therapy practice.
The company charges $156.25 before tax for 3.25 grams of mushrooms, or about an eighth of an ounce. Its facilitators charge $200 an hour for supervision, and $100 per hour for an additional facilitator to be present. A 90-minute preparation session starts at $300; a one-hour integration session starts at $200. The company estimates that a four-to-six hour psilocybin session, plus preparation and integration sessions, will run between $1,300-$1,700, excluding the cost of the drug.
The company states that it “[provides] a pathway for individuals unable to access psilocybin services due to inability to pay for these services.” It states that it uses a portion of profits to fund scholarships, so individuals including Black, Brown, Indigenous, LGBTQ, disabled and low-income people can access psilocybin services. It is soliciting donations to support financial aid.
The company charges $15,000 for this three-day package, not including cost of the drug.
This service is run by Jeanette Small, PhD, a psychotherapist and artist. The company offers a three-day package that includes the preparation, psilocybin and integration sessions. It says that the total time spent in all sessions may range from about 14-20 hours, depending on each client.
According to its website, it charges $15,000 for this package, not including cost of the drug. It offers the option to trip with an additional person, for a total charge of $20,000. Repeat clients pay a discounted fee of $12,000.
The last of Oregon’s six listed psilocybin service centers is named Chariot, but no further information is given.
Legal psilocybin services in Oregon are already attracting many people throughout the state and from outside it—far more than they can currently serve. In the next few months, we can expect to see more psilocybin centers open.
It remains to be seen in what direction prices will go, and if companies’ financial aid programs will significantly move the dial. But as things stand, prices for even the lowest-cost options, when these non-medical services are paid entirely out-of-pocket, are out of the question for many prospective clients.
Photograph by TherapeuticShroom via Pixabay