The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) announced today, March 11, that the city was ready to begin the Psychedelic Crisis Assessment and Intervention training program, which is customized for law enforcement, mental health and emergency medical service personnel working for the City and County of Denver.
The program was commissioned by the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel in 2020 shortly after Denver became the first city in the United States to decriminalize small amounts of psilocybin mushrooms. Pscyhedelics response training became even more important in 2022, when Colorado became the second state (after Oregon) to legalize medical psilocybin use and the first state to decriminalize specific psychedelics, including psilocybin, DMT, ibogaine and mescaline.
Created as part of the 2019 voter initiative decriminalizing psilocybin, the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel took a brief hiatus in 2023 after Prop 122 passed. But the panel is meeting again and is expected to take a leading position in Denver's approach to its medical psilocybin rules.
"I’m proud of my hometown for stepping into a national leadership role with this training. It represents a giant leap forward for public health and safety with psilocybin and natural medicines in Denver and is a perfect example of what cities can do to better integrate emerging psychedelic policies into their existing infrastructures," Denver psilocybin panel director and activist Kevin Matthews says in a statement. "I’m looking forward to the city continuing its collaboration with MAPS to monitor outcomes and educate Denver residents on this exciting new issue."
Certain substances can counteract the over-consumption of psychedelics, such as benzodiazepines and serotonin receptor blockers, but during state rulemaking hearings, health care professionals have said it's important for first responders to understand "when and how to use those."
According to MAPS, a team of over twenty experts in law, medicine, psychiatry, mental health, neuropsychopharmacology, law enforcement, crisis response, quality improvement and education took three years to develop the curriculum.
Training includes video instructions and corresponding assessments that focus on the history, usage of and potential psychological and physiological effects of psilocybin and other psychedelics, according to MAPS. Emergency responders will also learn about the legal considerations and implications of psychedelics decriminalization as well as the best practices for harm reduction during psychedelic-related crises.
"We believe that this program will equip first responders with the necessary knowledge and skills to handle psilocybin and psychedelic-related crises in a safe and compassionate manner and ultimately improve the health and well-being of the community," MAPS harm reduction officer Sara Gael adds. "This program is also a testament to the progressive and visionary leadership of Denver, which has taken a bold step to decriminalize psilocybin and create a model for other cities to follow."
Psychedelic Education in Colorado
Since Colorado decriminalized psychedelics in late 2022, state officials and nonprofits have been scrambling to provide education and safety training for everyone from potential users to law enforcement to state lawmakers. Thanks to a federal grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Colorado employs an expert who is trained to teach law enforcement about "basically every type of drug, including psychedelics," according to Colorado District Attorneys' Council legislative liaison Tim Lane. However, Lane recognizes that Colorado law enforcement is "looking to do more" than focus on impairment recognition, and first responders could potentially be stuck in new situations that are complicated to navigate.
The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) is responsible for creating training requirements for licensed psychedelic therapists and administrators, who could be allowed to apply for licenses by the end of the year. The Colorado Natural Medicine Division, a new enforcement arm under the state Department of Revenue, was created to regulate the commercial aspects of psilocybin production and facilitation (and any other psychedelics, should they be legalized for medical use).
The NMD has been working on training guidelines for first responders across the state, as well, but NMD guidelines haven't been published yet, and won't be enforceable when they are.
According to MAPS, the new Psychedelic Crisis Assessment and Intervention training emphasizes harm reduction and emergency de-escalation, with physical force and arrests viewed as last resorts.
Educational resources for the public include the Psychedelic Info Line, a new and free phone hotline intended for non-emergency questions about psilocybin and other psychedelics, and the Fireside Project, a free phone line that offers live guidance and support during emergency psychedelic experiences.
