RFK Jr. Discussed Plan For ‘Advancing Psychedelic Therapies’ With Colorado Governor, Staffer Says

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy told Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) that he’s “aware” of the state’s launch of legal psilocybin services and is committed to continuing to be “outspoken in favor of advancing psychedelic therapies” at the federal level, according to a staffer in the governor’s office.

During a psychedelics listening session involving multiple state agencies on Wednesday, Ean Seeb, who serves as Polis’s special advisor on cannabis and natural medicine, also said that officials are having international conversations about the possibility of expanding Colorado’s program to add regulated access to ibogaine.

Seeb said the governor and staff have “had meetings with federal agencies and will continue to do so” around psychedelics policy.

“Interactions thus far have actually been really positive and helpful,” he said. “Secretary Kennedy told the governor recently that he’s aware of our program, and he’ll remain outspoken in favor of advancing psychedelic therapies.”

Kennedy separately said in June that his agency is “absolutely committed” to expanding research on the benefits of psychedelic therapy and is aiming to provide legal access to such substances for military veterans “within 12 months.”

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins has also spoken about an “eye-opening” talk with he had Kennedy about the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine.

Meanwhile, given that Colorado is still in the early phases of rolling out its voter-approved psychedelics law and has limited historical experience with certain plant-based medicine such as ibogaine, the Polis staffer also noted that state officials have worked to learn directly from the other countries that have a richer history with the psychedelic, such as Gabon.

“We wish to be respectful—to work towards a common understanding regarding sourcing and education,” Seeb said, adding that Colorado is “poised to have the largest data set in the history of the world for regulated use.”

“It’s no small feat in a time of challenging budgets. We’re thankful to the General Assembly for passing a bill…that will permit us to collect this information and not just on the adverse related events, but also potential benefits that are associated with the use of psilocybin and psilocin—and just those two for now, with more to come.”

The Polis official also express gratitude to philanthropists “who recognize the value of this work and are poised to provide the resources needed to ensure this happens.” Those first dollars are expected to be received “very, very soon” to enable the Department of Public Health to undertake the data collection effort

“Frankly, there’s a lot more work to do. We want to get as much done in this administration as we possibly can,” Seeb said.

“I’ll just add that Colorado is and will remain at the forefront of both research and policy for natural medicine,” he said. “We continue working to ensure Colorado is best positioned to take advantage of all the healing properties and uses of psychedelics and natural medicine.”

“As colleagues and partners around the state tirelessly work to ensure every Colorado and can get the care that they need to be healthy and thrive, we continue to remain excited about the possibilities and the potential around the use of psychedelics, particularly when it comes to mental health and addiction. The governor is proud of the work Colorado has done to continue investing in our mental health and behavior behavioral health systems to help get people the care that they need and deserve. At the same time, we’re taking the opportunity to explore the potential healing in this space that psychedelics can provide in our regulatory program.”

In addition to implementing a regulatory model for psychedelics, Polis also facilitated a historic pardon in June for people with convictions over psilocybin-related activity that’s now legal.

Seeb said that “if you think that you might have a qualifying conviction, we encourage you to apply if you are not included on the list” maintained on a state website.

“Possession of controlled substances and a conviction doesn’t necessarily show that it’s psilocybin or psilocybin, so sometimes we have to dig into those individual level records. And any information that you have can really assist us as we determine who’s eligible,” he said. “So we do encourage you to apply if you are qualified.”

The listening session came about two months after the first psilocybin sessions took place in state-licensed “healing centers” under Colorado’s voter-approved psychedelics legalization law.

In May, Polis touted the fact that Colorado’s legal psychedelics program is “fully launched” now that regulators have issued licenses for each part of the psilocybin supply chain.

The governor’s psilocybin clemency move, meanwhile, came several years after Polis issued mass pardons for people with prior marijuana convictions.

Earlier this session, the governor signed into law a bill that would allow a form of psilocybin to be prescribed as a medication if the federal government authorizes its use.

While Colorado already legalized psilocybin and several other psychedelics for adults 21 and older through the voter-approved ballot initiative, the newly enacted reform will make it so drugs containing an isolated crystalized version synthesized from psilocybin can become available under physician prescription.

Separately in Colorado, a bill that would have limited THC in marijuana and outlawed a variety of psilocybin products died following the lead sponsor’s move to withdraw the legislation.