DENVER — Colorado voters passed the Natural Medicine Health Act in November 2022, which decriminalized the personal use of psychedelic mushrooms — in addition to some other substances — for individuals 21 years and older. It also set up the framework for healing centers where patients will be under the supervision of trained facilitators while using the substances for therapeutic purposes.
This year, Senate Bill 23-290 legalized testing labs for the psychedelics.
“A huge step forward in psychedelic policy," said Jonathan Cherkoss with the Psychedelic Club of Denver. “The importance of testing psychedelics, especially from a community perspective, is because of the federal laws, we don't have a lot of information on dosing.”
The Psychedelic Club of Denver is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization that focuses on harm reduction, community education and the destigmatization of substances, according to Cherkoss. The club is hosting the first competition for homegrown psychedelic mushrooms this year, called The Psychedelic Cup.
“This is the first one in Denver, and the first one that we know of in Colorado, as well," said Cherkoss. “It's not a consumption-based event. It's strictly going to be an objective potency analysis done by Altitude Consulting.”
Altitude Consulting is where the samples of the psychedelic mushrooms will be tested for the competition. Growers can drop off their samples, which are examined with a seven panel test. The competition will not have judges, and the psychedelic mushrooms will not be consumed. Instead, winners will be scored by the results of the tests in a handful of different categories.
“We don't want to make it just about the most potent mushroom because a lot of people don't want that or need that," said Cherkoss. “Just because it doesn't have the highest psilocybin doesn't mean it doesn't have other compounds that can be useful.”
The goal of the competition is to gather data on different psychedelic mushrooms that previously has not been recorded, in order to better cater to the varying needs of patients.
“The regulations don't exist yet. The companies don't exist yet to do it. But this data will be useful, and people will know going in what they kind of want. And they'll have more informed patients," said Cherkoss. “It's going to be a snapshot of mushrooms as they exist within the Colorado community.”
Eric Burden is the owner of Denver Spore Company, and understands the importance of information like this being collected. His company was started in 2018 and makes at-home grow kits. Burden said it allows people to access their medicine without breaking any laws. He is a sponsor of the competition as well.
“A fun competition within the community to see how people's mushrooms are stacking up against each other, potency wise. But another side to it is almost like a public safety thing," said Burden. “I don't really like to compare alcohol to psychedelics, but knowing, 'OK, this is a beer. This is a wine and this one's whiskey.' You know, so it's good information to have from a harm reduction point.”
Growers can submit their samples through mid-October, and the awards ceremony is scheduled for November 2.
The Psychedelic Club of Denver has a member base of more than 250 people.
