Are you a California resident who’s curious about the pros and cons of psilocybin use? Perhaps you’ve heard about the many benefits it offers, but fear that you’ll have a “bad trip” and wonder what you can do to avoid a negative psychedelic experience.
To help answer your questions, we’ve put together this guide on your therapeutic treatment options like psychedelic assisted therapy, and how they help in dealing with depression symptoms and reducing your level of anxiety.
As laws vary from state to state, it’s important to understand the legal landscape of psilocybin. In California, Oakland and Santa Cruz are the only cities where psychedelics like magic mushrooms are decriminalized which means psychedelic assisted therapy is not currently available.
Though psychedelics are federally illegal under the controlled substances act, there is much hope on the horizon. This guide lays out your legal options for therapeutic psychedelic experiences near you, and how we can help in your healing journey.
Remember that mental health professionals are not yet legally allowed to provide in-person support for psychedelic experience, so our psychedelic concierge services are not provided by licenced therapists, but more on that later.
Legal Status of Psychedelic Therapy in California 2023
In 2021, Senate Bill 519 was introduced and passed, and while it has to go through additional approvals, it is expected to become law. The bill proposes to decriminalize the use of psychedelics like psilocybin on both a personal and professional level for the whole state of California. It’s a game-changer which opens up therapeutic psychedelic experiences as mental health treatment options.
In 2019, Oakland became the second city in the U.S. to decriminalize the use and possession of fungi- and plant-based psychedelics like psilocybin, or magic mushrooms. The City of Santa Cruz followed suit in early 2020 and became the third U.S. city to decriminalize natural psychedelics.
As mentioned previously, Senate Bill 519 is making its way through the legislation process and would decriminalize the personal and professional use of most psychedelics.
As the psychedelic renaissance continues to gain momentum, the reputation of psilocybin is improving and decision makers at every level of government are recognizing the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics. In fact, Senator Scott Wiener described the bill as an “important step toward a more rational, science-based, and public-health-focused approach to drugs.”
This shift in perspective on drugs from a criminal activity to a mental health treatment option has not only spurred more research and development in the field of psychedelics, but it also allows us to connect you with our pre-vetted network of psychedelic facilitators with reduced risk of criminal repercussions.
As the decriminalization of psychedelics like psilocybin continues to spread across the country, we believe this fledgling industry will take flight quickly, gaining momentum as it goes. Already, the legal landscape of psychedelics in California has evolved rapidly and more change is on the way. Visit our California state page to learn more!
Choosing Between a Licensed Therapist & a Psychedelic Guide
Typically, the word “therapy” means you’re working with a licensed therapist, but “therapeutic” is defined as having a beneficial effect on the body or mind. It means that mindfulness-enhancing activities like breathwork, meditation, and psychedelics can be considered therapeutic—with or without the presence of a therapist.
When choosing between a therapist and a psychedelic guide, it’s helpful to ask yourself this question to help clarify the type of treatment that you’re seeking: do you want to have a psychedelic trip in the presence of a licensed psychotherapist or do you want a therapeutic psychedelic experience?
It may seem like splitting hairs, but it’s important to have clarity on the type of experience that you want and how much support you seek. Psychedelic assisted therapy with a licensed mental health professional is not currently a treatment option in California, but luckily, you can still have a supported therapeutic psychedelic experience in your area, with the Psychedelic Passage facilitator network.
Legal Therapeutic Psychedelic Treatment Options in California
As a resident of the great state of California, you’ll be happy to know that you do have a variety of options to choose from when it comes to psychedelic substances and experiences. The three treatment options listed below each have different benefits and potential drawbacks, so we recommend carefully reviewing them to determine which one is right for you.
1. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Although it’s not a traditional psychedelic, ketamine assisted psychotherapy has shown to help improve both mental and emotional health when used in a therapeutic setting. Scientific research has proven that it can be extremely effective in dealing with depression.
However, it’s also common knowledge that ketamine assisted psychotherapy at ketamine clinics usually doesn’t offer a comprehensive treatment approach which increases your risk of having a negative or poorly integrated psychedelic experience. To learn more, check out our article on the benefits and pitfalls of ketamine therapy.
2. Cannabis-Assisted Therapy
This treatment method can be helpful, but the results vary greatly from person to person so it might not provide the therapeutic psychedelic experience or spiritual healing that you’re truly seeking. Cannabis therapy tends to be less effective for those with mental health disorders and more effective for patients suffering from chronic pain.
It’s important to note that cannabis is not a true entheogen like psilocybin or magic mushrooms, and we find that most of our clients do prefer to sit with a traditional psychedelic drugs, especially after watching Fantastic Fungi or reading Michael Pollan’s book.
3. Guided Psychedelic Experiences
This guided psychedelic experience is often referred to as “trip sitting” and provides many therapeutic benefits. Guided experiences involve a professional psychedelic guide who helps you navigate your healing journey in a therapeutic way.
At Psychedelic Passage, we’ve streamlined the process of connecting with a facilitator by building a strong network of experienced psychedelic guides who are located around the country. These experts are dedicated to helping people like you navigate these holistic healing experiences which hold the potential for true transformation and result in lasting change.
We cannot legally provide you with any psychedelic medicines and we are not licensed mental health professionals. However, we can connect you with knowledgeable psychedelic concierges who can help inform your decisions, whether or not you choose to move forward in connecting with a facilitator in our network.
Our ultimate goal is to deliver our services with a strong emphasis on harm reduction. Psilocybin is the psychedelic of choice for most of our clients, but our network of facilitators are happy to help guide you through a healing experience with other psychedelic medicines too.
Find Your Next Psychedelic Experience in Any Major California City
- Anaheim
- Bakersfield
- Fresno
- Irvine
- Los Angeles
- Long Beach
- Oakland
- Orange County
- Riverside
- Sacramento
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Santa Ana
- Stockton
Out network of facilitators provide their guiding services in every major city in California, including those which are not listed above. So if you don’t see a city near you, fear not—if our in-network facilitators can physically get themselves to you, they will sit for you. For specifics on services we offer in your area, we invite you to book a consultation with our concierges.
The Benefits of Therapeutic Psychedelic Experiences
Many are beginning to realize that psychoactive plants, fungi, and chemicals like psilocybin are beneficial when consumed in a therapeutic setting, but science is starting to suggest that they contain massive healing potential, including for those with mental health disorders.
When used responsibly and with the right guidance, psychedelics allow you to access your subconscious, enabling healing and transformation on a deeper level. These therapeutic experiences give you greater awareness of mental models and limiting beliefs that hold you captive, so you have a real chance to address the trauma of your past and unlock the potential of your future.
Guided psychedelic experiences are a form of treatment that provides holistic healing on every level to address spiritual, mental, and physical pain. We find that it provides greater benefit with fewer side-effects than traditional medicines can offer when treating mental health disorders like depression, help with PTSD, or reduce your anxiety.
Ready to Embark on Your Healing Journey?
If you want to take advantage of the many benefits of psychedelic assisted therapy in California, but don’t know where to start, then you’re in luck. At Psychedelic Passage, we specialize in guiding you through a holistic healing journey from pre-trip intention setting to post-trip integration.
Our network of guides are experts at facilitating safe, effective, and therapeutic psychedelic experiences in the comfort of your own home. Explore our services, connect with a guide, and get answers to your most personal psychedelic questions by booking a consultation with our psychedelic concierges.
And of course, if you have any more questions about psychedelic medicine, or about the psychedelic therapy process as a whole, we empower you to visit our blog page for information on all-things-psychedelic. That’s all we have for now, fellow psychedelic-curious Californians. Safe and mindful journeying!
