“The state is working really hard to operationalize this program as quickly as possible. People are suffering and they want to address that suffering.”
By Leah Romero, Source NM
New Mexico’s Medical Psilocybin Program recently opened up applications for producers of the psychedelic mushroom, marking a significant step toward the therapeutic program becoming fully operational.
“We’re no longer talking about a piece of legislation and some rulemaking. This is real, this is happening and it’s being operationalized right now,” Santa Fe-based psychedelic attorney Victoria Cvitanovic told Source NM.
The program was created last year with the signing of Senate Bill 219, which created the medical psilocybin program, an advisory board and legalized use of the psychedelic in controlled, therapeutic settings. Qualifying conditions currently include major treatment-resistant depression, post traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders and end-of-life care.
The New Mexico Department of Health Center for Medical Cannabis and Psilocybin began accepting applications last week from potential producers to grow the mushrooms for future program participants.
Cvitanovic told Source that the application is intended to ensure the psilocybin “produced for this program in New Mexico is both safe and medically beneficial for patients, as well as that this doesn’t cause safety issues for people in New Mexico generally.”
According to the permit requirements, applicants must provide a state business license; proof of registration with the New Mexico Secretary of State and the Taxation and Revenue Department; facility safety documents; proof of ownership of the facility or a signed statement from the landowner; proof of compliance with city and county zoning requirements; and verification that psilocybin products will only be produced and tested in New Mexico.
“I think it’s notable that the application balances both the safety of the patients who will be receiving the end product and the safety of people who may live in areas of the state where someone is granted a license to produce psilocybin,” Cvitanovic said. “These applications are open to anyone, but they are fairly extensive because of the high stakes of producing a controlled substance, specifically for very limited medical use.”
She said she believes that most applicants will have an agricultural and entrepreneurial background, but likely only a small number of “highly qualified” applications will meet the requirements.
A DOH spokesperson told Source NM in an email that there is currently no deadline for applications and that they will be reviewed in order of submission.
Cvitanovic said she recommends those considering applying to be a producer confer with a lawyer and accountant and get documentation together to submit the most complete and compliant application as possible. However, they should also consider whether their plans are operational if a permit is granted.
SB219 set a deadline of December 31, 2027 for the psilocybin program to be implemented; however, the state committed to expediting the timeline by a year, aiming to open the program to its first patients by the end of 2026.
“The state is working really hard to operationalize this program as quickly as possible,” Cvitanovic said. “People are suffering and they want to address that suffering.”
She added that the program’s rulemaking process is not complete and more permit applications will open up down the line for testing and for qualified clinicians. A “buildout and inspection period” will also likely follow before treatment begins with patients. She encouraged people interested in participating in the program to speak with their behavioral health providers about becoming certified to facilitate the treatment.
“Programs like this are only as strong as the clinicians and therapists and other people who choose to participate in them. This is hard work, and it is not risk free, but it has the ability to change the lives of thousands of New Mexicans who are suffering,” Cvitanovic said.
This story was first published by Source NM.
Photo courtesy of Alan Rockefeller.
