Oregon’s Psilocybin Services Act (“Measure 109”), the nation’s first legalized state regimen for adult use psilocybin, was drafted by a small team of Emerge Law Group attorneys led by Dave Kopilak, including Sean Clancy and Kaci Hohmann.
As a full-service business law firm that has specialized in the cannabis space for many years, while also serving a variety of conventional industries, Emerge Law Group is familiar with the unique and complex issues that businesses and individuals face in an emerging and highly regulated industry. Emerge Law Group currently assists a variety of clients in connection with Oregon’s psilocybin law and the legal psychedelics space.
There is tremendous excitement about the potential for psychedelic drugs to benefit a wide variety of populations. Until recently, psychedelic substances have been accessible only in the underground market. Most remain illegal under federal and state law to manufacture, distribute, or possess. Since 1970 these substances have been treated as having no medical purpose and no legitimate commercial application. As a result, very few people have invested in this area or sought legal services outside the criminal context.
Today, researchers in a multitude of clinical studies are proving the medical safety and efficacy of these substances with the objective of changing their treatment under the Controlled Substances Act. Companies are raising money, developing intellectual property, and seizing market opportunities associated with psychedelic drugs.
In addition, advocates at the state and local levels are not waiting for the federal government. They are decriminalizing these substances or making them legal under state and/or municipal law.
Representative Work
Drafted Law Legalizing Psilocybin
Oregon
Psilocybin Services Act
Emerge Law Group celebrates the passage of Oregon Measure 109, the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act (“Measure 109”). Measure 109, the first of its kind in the nation, will create a legal, regulated market for psilocybin-assisted therapy under Oregon law. It was drafted by a team of Emerge Law Group attorneys led by Dave Kopilak, including Sean Clancy and Kaci Hohmann.
Advocacy Under Right to Try
Federal – State
Washington
Emerge helped launch the effort to open access to psilocybin therapy for terminally ill patients utilizing state and federal Right to Try laws. While at Emerge, former Emerge special counsel Kathryn Tucker led efforts to open access to the investigational psychedelic drug psilocybin for therapeutic use for patients with life threatening illness through state and federal Right to Try (RTT) laws. Tucker represented a cutting edge, integrative Seattle oncology clinic, Advanced Integrative Medical Science (AIMS) Institute, seeking permission to access psilocybin to treat terminally ill patients suffering anxiety and/or depression.