There are two measures in Josephine County, impacting all areas outside of Grants Pass. One we are recommending VOTE YES, is allowing service centers.
The other is to allow psilocybin product manufacturing in Josephine County. We had considerable discussion regarding this measure coming to no definitive conclusion.
Here is a summary of the pros/cons.
VOTE YES (that is do NOT prohibit it):
- It’s a business, and only a few companies are manufacturing it
- Because it’s legal, if there are not enough legitimate manufacturers, the vacuum could invite in cartels
- There are no known environmental issues (e.g., requiring high amounts of water, as marijuana requires)
- Anecdotal: doctor for 30 years has never seen or heard of anyone coming in to the hospital for overuse of psilocybin
- Use of psilocybin has been carefully researched with positive results, especially for those with PTSD
- The Democratic Party platform supports alternative medicine. It also supports allowing people to make their own decisions about their bodies and health issues.
- The reason it is not FDA approved is that the process is extremely expensive. Pharmaceutical companies spend a lot of money to get drugs approved and in return get patents and exclusive rights to sell them. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring substance, so cannot be patented. Hence, it is unprofitable for drug companies to go through the expensive process of getting FDA approval.
VOTE NO (that is, DO prohibit it):
- Sheriff Dave Daniel is against it
- Those growing it could produce more than their licenses permit, creating a black market for recreational psilocybin
See our full slate here.
October 22, 2022 @ 7:33 pm
Josephine and Jackson counties have done a terrible job of regulating marijuana, exposing rural residents to unnecessary problems. There is much talk of cartel involvement and one commissioner was caught in a conflict of interest scandal. Forget legalizing anything until these commissioners get their act together.