A world of greater love and interconnection could be on the horizon. Psychedelics are revolutionizing more than just psychiatry. When we experience the higher realms of self-compassion and ecological awareness in psychedelic experiences, we change how we interact with ourselves and the world around us. We become more conscious, which drastically enhances our capacity to impact the world in a positive way.
Right now, psychedelic-assisted therapy is only available in clinical trials. Therapists are licensed by their state government, and since psychedelics remain illegal in all fifty states except Oregon, a therapist could lose their license if they used psychedelics in their practice.
Psychedelic-assisted therapy is projected to be a few years away. However, in the mean time, therapeutic psychedelic experiences are possible. Therapeutic simply means “to have a beneficial effect on the mind or body.” A practitioner who is skilled in healing but not a therapist could provide an experience and call it therapeutic without the same legal consequences.
What qualifies someone if not a license? We take this question seriously at Psychedelic Passage. All of our facilitators have extensive backgrounds with psychedelics. They are trained in various healing modalities, they work with mentors, and they are honest about their limitations. If a facilitator doesn’t feel like they are a good fit for you, they will gladly refer you to someone else more in resonance with your needs.
In this article, we’ll dive into the legal landscape of psychedelics in the Treasure State and how you can have a safe, supportive psychedelic experience in your area.
Benefits of Having a Therapeutic Psychedelic Experience
“You are not who you think you are.” — Ram Dass
Most of us spend our lives believing that we are “someone”— a person with history, stories, and beliefs. The neural network thought to be responsible for the maintenance of our sense of self is called the Default Mode Network (DMN). Mental health disorders like depression are thought to be the result of an overly rigid DMN. In other words, a sense of self that is resistant to change.
Psychedelics turn the DMN off. When someone with depression takes psilocybin mushrooms, all the negative stories and beliefs that make up their overly rigid sense of self are interrupted. It becomes possible for this person to re-know themselves, to see themselves in a new light.
This is why psychedelics are “transformative” medicines. Our sense of self is what dictates our life. We hang out with certain people and listen to certain music because of who we think we are. When we get a chance to radically shift our sense of self, our entire lives can follow suit.
You don’t need a full dose of a psychedelic to experience this shift. Microdosing, or taking small amounts of a substance several times a week, helps people grow in a slower, more subtle manner. Because of the amount, effects are sub-perceptual, and a whole new host of benefits like enhanced creativity and focus become possible.
The Current Legislation on Psychedelics in Montana
Although Montana hasn’t yet seen any significant psychedelic reform, during the 2020 election, recreational cannabis was legalized. This was a pivotal moment. In a state with historically strict drug laws, the legalization of cannabis was an opening to greater drug policy reform.
As legalization went into full effect just recently in January of 2022, it may be awhile before psychedelics find their way onto the ballot. However, the Decriminalize Nature movement, which decriminalized all plant psychedelics— or “entheogens”— in Oakland, has its roots in the Treasure State. The city of Missoula has a chapter and is actively petitioning legislators for a resolution that would decriminalize psychedelics in the city.
The good news is that there are several psychedelic integration specialists in the state. These folks can be therapists, social workers, or energy healers that are familiar with psychedelics and can help you process your journeys. While they do not sit with medicine themselves, they offer a structure of support for those that may be journeying on their own.
Your Legal Options for Therapeutic Psychedelic Experiences in Montana
In Montana, you have two options for a therapeutic psychedelic experience: ketamine clinics and guided psychedelic journeys.
It’s important to note that if you do decide to pursue a guided psychedelic journey, you are responsible for sourcing your own medicine. If you have questions or concerns about this process, check out our Resources page for more information.
1. Ketamine Clinics
Ketamine is not a traditional psychedelic. It’s been used as an anesthetic for decades, but more recently it’s been found to be a powerful antidepressant. Similar to psychedelics, it can interrupt negative stories and beliefs and gift a user a new perspective on their issues. Its legality currently makes ketamine the only substance that can be used in conjunction with psychotherapy.
However, clinics can vary widely in the type of therapy they offer. Some, for example, don’t offer any. If you’re seeking just the experience, this kind of clinic might be appropriate, but one of the guiding principles of psychedelic-assisted therapy is comprehensive psychological support.
You most definitely want to find a clinic that is sure to guide you through the entire ketamine experience, from preparation before the session to integration afterwards. If you can’t find one that will adequately support you, you can look for a psychedelic integration specialist or seek out a therapist of your own.
2. Guided Psychedelic Journeys with Psychedelic Passage
No matter where you live in Montana, if we can physically get to you, we will sit for you. We have several facilitators you can choose from, all of whom are experienced with many psychedelics, such as LSD, DMT, mescaline, and MDMA. Many of our clients choose to journey with psilocybin mushrooms, as they are the most accessible medicine and hardest to fake. Although not as frequent, you may journey with cannabis as well.
Our programs are typically five weeks long. They involve two preparation sessions, the in-person ceremony, and then two virtual integration sessions. Throughout your personalized program, we’ll have extensive conversation about whatever issues you’re looking to work on, coaching on best practices to integrate what you learn, and a greater vision and perspective for contextualizing your psychedelic experience.
If you don’t feel ready for a full dose journey, that’s ok too. We can provide you coaching in a microdosing protocol to familiarize you with your chosen medicine.
We Provide Guided Psychedelic Journeys in Every Major Montana City
- Billings
- Missoula
- Great Falls
- Bozeman
- Helena
- Butte-Silver Bow
- Kalispell
- Whitefish
Ready to Take the Next Step in Your Healing Journey?
Remember that quote? “You are not who you thought you were?” We believe that the self revealed to us through psychedelic experiences is not a new self— it’s our most real self. Beneath the layers of trauma, there is a Self that is whole, loving, and complete. It lies there throughout our lives, waiting to be discovered.
The word journey is used to describe what you do in a psychedelic experience because these medicines give us the ability to travel. The path is different for everyone, but we’re all traveling to the same destination: our most authentic self. If you’re ready to take that journey, book a consultation call with us. We’d be honored to hear from you.
