Nation's First-Ever Psilocybin Edibles Manufacturer License Granted In Oregon

Regulators in Oregon have granted the first-ever state license for the production of psilocybin edibles, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s burgeoning psychedelic industry. As reported by Marijuana Moment, Spiritus Oregon, a Southeast Portland company, announced last week that it received the inaugural Psilocybin Edibles license, positioning it as the first legal manufacturer of psilocybin-infused edibles.

Legal Snd Industry Scenery In Oregon

With the decriminalization of drug possession in 2020, Oregon also moved forward with the first state-licensed psilocybin-assisted therapy system. Since then, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) had issued the first manufacturer license to Satori Farms PDX LLC, a woman-owned business, in March 2023. Various licenses were later distributed, including the state’s first psilocybin facilitator, service center and lab testing licenses. Earlier this year, Gov. Tina Kotek signed a bill recriminalizing drug possession, adding another layer of complexity to the state’s evolving drug policy landscape.

Spiritus Oregon Leads The Way

Spiritus Oregon, known for its Horizon Edibles brand, will soon offer products like “dark chocolates precisely dosed with dried, homogenized mushrooms,” which blend chocolate-forward flavors with nutty and earthy notes from the mushrooms. “Our products, like our mushroom chocolates, are meant to be eaten,” said Michael Briggs, president of Horizon Edibles. “We wanted them to be as safe or safer than consuming a dried mushroom. Customers expect products to be as safe as anything they would buy in a grocery store and we're here to provide that.”

Precision Dosing And Safety Standards

Spiritus Oregon not only produces its own line of psilocybin edibles but also offers white-label products. According to its website, the company operates a commercial kitchen under the Horizon Edibles brand. The company prides itself on dosing precision, claiming standards that allow only a 0.5-milligram deviation on larger doses (20 mg to 50 mg of psilocybin) and a 0.2 mg deviation on microdoses (2 mg to 5 mg). This is in stark contrast to Oregon’s allowance of a 20% deviation, which Horizon argues could lead to a “wildly different experience” for consumers.

“People should trust that they'll have a consistent experience—something that lines up with their expectations. These treatments can be expensive and we want to ensure customers are getting exactly what they're paying for,” said Briggs. “A major problem with psilocybin treatment can be how variable it is. We have solved that problem.”

Health Benefits

Horizon Edibles also highlights the health benefits of their manufacturing process, which removes the chitin – the fibrous component of mushrooms that can cause gastrointestinal distress. “Mushrooms with psychoactive properties are often hard on the stomach, with a fiber made of chitin, the same material that makes up crab shells,” the company noted. “Horizon Edibles' process extracts actives (psychoactives) of all types and fully removes the chitin, resulting in easier digestion.”

Legal And Industry Challenges

Despite these advances, Oregon’s legal psilocybin industry faces challenges. A newly filed federal lawsuit against Oregon officials claims the state’s psilocybin law discriminates against disabled people who cannot travel to designated service centers, thereby denying them potential health benefits. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon, argues that state law restricts psilocybin services to licensed centers, preventing many disabled and terminally ill individuals from accessing treatment.

The Road Ahead

Recent reports suggest that Oregon’s legal psilocybin sector is struggling to attract paying clients, despite initial enthusiasm. Psilocybin service providers and entrepreneurs gathered at a recent conference in Portland to reflect on a year of transformative experiences for clients but also faced numerous challenges, including regulatory hurdles and inconsistent demand.

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