Hey, I'm Floralekamint and you're listening to Science Friday.

In a few states out west, you can book an appointment for psilocybin therapy, where a licensed

therapist takes you on a guided trip using the drug that makes some mushrooms hallucinogenic.

Now, under federal law, psilocybin is illegal, but a few years ago,

Oregon greenlit the drug for supervised medical use. Colorado is next in 2025, and New Mexico

is expected to begin a program later this year. It's being used to treat certain conditions,

including drug-resistant depression, addiction, and PTSD.

So today we are checking in on this grand experiment, as some experts have called it. With a bunch more people taking the drug under state supervision, what are we learning about its safety and efficacy? Who's taking it and can clinics make money? First stop, Colorado.

Alejandro Alonso Galva is here, editor in the newsroom at Colorado Public Radio.

He's also the project editor of their series, The Trip, which covers the state's psychedelic

journey.

Hey, Alejandro.

Hello, nice to be with you guys.

Okay, give us a sense of sort of what the experience is like. If I booked a psilocybin

therapy session, what would my experience be like? Like, should I picture a dentist office, a spa?

What's the vibe? Well, I guess it's kind of all depending on what your preferences. Some of these

places might look like your standard dentist office

or therapy office, uh, except there'll be a room that has psilocybin and that room will be

secure with cameras and things like that. Other places might look like something you imagine

on a wellness Instagram account, right? With, rooms and very interesting decor. So it really

does depend on the vibe you're looking for. And then how long does the session last and is someone

with you the whole time? Yes. So the way the state has set this up is that it's actually not one session. It is at minimum three sessions. Basically, you have to pass a screening kind of exam where you fill out any family history that might disqualify you from these treatments. You have to talk about any other drugs you might be taking

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