Colorado’s psychedelic journey begins this week with first advisory board meeting
On April 13, the 15 people who will advise Colorado regulators on the rollout of legal psychedelics will meet and speak in public for the first time since they were appointed by Gov. Jared Polis.
The members of the Natural Medicine Advisory Board will play a significant role in how the state’s psilocybin-assisted therapy industry takes shape, offering recommendations to the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) as it writes rules to govern the manufacturing, testing and application of psilocybin and psilocin — two psychoactive compounds in “magic mushrooms.”
The board is due to make its first set of recommendations by Sept. 30, 2023, and DORA is expected to adopt rules and begin accepting license applications by Sept. 30, 2024. Regulations regarding facilitator training and qualification criteria will be adopted early, by Jan. 1, 2024, so that individuals seeking licensure can complete the necessary training programs and apply by the aforementioned date.
In January, The Denver Post attempted to interview all 15 members of the board, but seven declined to be interviewed, referring all questions to DORA; two couldn’t be reached and the others didn’t respond. In addition, the governor’s office refused to make appointees available prior to their confirmation by the Colorado Senate on March 17, citing the need “to ensure the integrity” the board. Now that they are confirmed, the appointees are also subject to DORA’s code of ethics, which states that they can’t discuss board business outside of board meetings, including with the media, said an agency spokesperson.
Since their background, knowledge and input will be substantial, however, the Post, through a Colorado Open Records Act request, procured the Natural Medicine Advisory Board members’ resumes and applications to learn more about the individuals. (To see detailed information about each member’s background and interest in psychedelics, scroll to the bottom of this story.)
“We’re confident in the professionalism and commitment of the board and will take their recommendations seriously,” said DORA spokesperson Katie O’Donnell.
The board is comprised of seven men, seven women and one person who identifies as nonbinary. Eight individuals identify as Caucasian, two as Hispanic, one as Native American and one as African-American. Three members have two or more ethnic identities.
Politically, the board leans left with nine Democrats, two Republicans and one Libertarian. Three are politically unaffiliated. All are volunteers in this capacity and are not being compensated for their roles on the board.
Most members of the board have some experience working in healthcare, whether as practicing therapists, researchers, emergency medical professionals, owners or operators of mental health facilities and organizations, and advocates in insurance and policy. Members Sofia Chavez and Clarissa Pinkola Estés, specifically, are purveyors of indigenous healing practices.
Several, including former Aspen City Councilman Skippy Uptown Mesirow and Billy Wynne of Wynne Health Group, expressed enthusiasm in their applications about psychedelics’ potential, citing their firsthand experiences, while others cautioned about legalization’s broader implications.
“I do worry (that) adolescents will normalize the use of psychedelics with this proposition being passed,” wrote Wendy Buxton-Andrade, a Prowers County commissioner, in her application. “As elected officials, we need to make sure that we regulate natural medicine, just as we do pharmaceuticals, because they can be equally dangerous to our communities and most importantly to our (constituents).”
The board is expected to explore topics such as the necessary training, educational criteria and qualifications for psychedelics facilitators; equitable and ethical avenues for access to psilocybin services; pubic health messaging regarding the use, effects and risks of psilocybin; standards for product safety and harm reduction; and whether this type of treatment should be covered by insurance, among other subjects. The board will publish an annual report describing its activities and recommendations, the measure states.
Colorado follows only Oregon in legalizing psilocybin, which is still a Schedule I substance according to federal law. Oregon also developed an advisory board to work with its health regulators, who followed most of the board’s advice, said Angela Allbee, manager of Oregon Psilocybin Services Section.
Some recommendations were tweaked or changed based on feedback provided in public hearings and comment periods. Others were nixed because they fell outside the purview of rulemaking or were deemed too labor-intensive for the Oregon Health Authority.
In accordance with the Sunshine Law, the Natural Medicine Advisory Board’s meetings will be open to the public; the first is Thursday, April 13 from 1 to 5 p.m.
Here’s what we learned about each member’s background and interest in psychedelics from our CORA request.
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2027
Ricardo Baca is the founder and CEO of Grasslands, a public relations agency that represents cannabis businesses. He also sits on the boards at Colorado Public Radio and the Society for Psychedelic Outreach, Reform and Education (SPORE). A former journalist of 24 years, Baca served as cannabis editor during his tenure at The Denver Post covering the launch of the first legal marijuana market in the world. He was appointed as a representative of traditional indigenous use and public health, drug policy and harm reduction.
Why he wants to be on the board: “After a lifelong career in journalism… I’ve found my passion for serving my community in roles I couldn’t hold as a journalist — and it would be an honor to play a role in this historic process,” Baca wrote in his application.
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2027
Katina Banks is an attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where she’s responsible for developing and maintaining resources and tools that support the firm’s many practice groups. Banks previously served on Denver’s Citizen Oversight Board, which evaluates practices and policies in the Denver Department of Public Safety, among other commissions. She was appointed as a representative of permitted organization criteria.
Why she wants to be on the board: “Throughout my professional legal career I have believed in giving back to my community and enjoy volunteer service for the greater good,” Banks wrote in her application. “Also I have significant civic board/commission experience to help advance the important public work of these special administrative bodies.”
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2025
Wendy Buxton-Andrade currently serves as a Prowers County Commissioner in southeastern Colorado. Additionally, she is a member of the Attorney General’s Substance Abuse Task Force and chair of the board at RESADA, an alcohol and drug treatment center in Las Animas. Her background includes stints in education and medical staffing. Buxton-Andrade was appointed as a representative of levels and disparities in access to health care services among different communities.
Why she wants to be on the board: “I am interested on serving on the State of Colorado’s Natural Medicine Advisory Board to explore the programmatic framework for the regulated access for psychedelics within DORA,” Buxton-Andrade wrote, in part, in her application. “I do worry (that) adolescents will normalize the use of psychedelics with this proposition being passed… As elected officials, we need to make sure that we regulate natural medicine, just as we do pharmaceuticals, because they can be equally dangerous to our communities and most importantly to our constituents.”
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2025
Sofia Chavez is founder of Estara Health and Wellness, a Lakewood facility that specializes in “culture-based care.” She also serves as a clinic and community liaison at Denver Health Federico Peña where she helps patients communicate with their doctors. To that end, Chavez is regarded as an expert in traditional and indigenous healing practices, such as Meso-American healing and reiki, that can be adopted by Western medical professionals. Chavez was appointed to represent traditional and indigenous use and religious use of natural medicine.
Why she wants to be on the board: “I have promoted clinical and public awareness in the areas of natural medicine for more than 30 years,” she wrote in her application. “My elders were indigenous people of color, this work of promoting awareness, instilling respect, advocating for research, and addressing historical trauma will improve the determinants of health and increase social justice for all people living in Colorado.”
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2025
Bradley Conner is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Colorado State University, where he also serves as director of addiction counseling programs. His research has explored topics such as alcohol and cannabis intoxication, suicide prevention, and the relationship between mental health and substance abuse, among other topics. He was appointed as a representative of natural medicine therapy, medicine and research.
Why he wants to be on the board: “This is an important initiative and appropriate implementation is going to be key,” he wrote in this application. “Stakeholders need to be involved, especially those with experience in the area.”
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2025
William Dunn is chief clinical officer at Eagle County Paramedic Services and boasts more than 30 years as a paramedic with experience in rural, urban and suburban communities. He’s also worked on the Vail Ski Patrol since 2007 and currently serves on the Colorado Department of Health and Environment’s Emergency Medical Practice Advisory Council. Dunn represents emergency medical services first responders.
Why he wants to be on the board: “Psilocybin shows promise in the treatment of trauma — many of my colleagues have been affected by PTSD — and many have committed suicide. First and foremost my interest is a strong desire to save my friends from the trauma paramedics suffer,” he wrote in his application. “However, I do have an earnestness that if there’s a need for an EMS perspective in the use of psilocybin, I believe my expertise in the industry and experience with governmental entities and boards will make me useful in the process.”
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2027
Clarissa Pinkola Estés is an author and poet, widely known for her book “Women Who Run with the Wolves.” A self-described “ally” of Maria Sabina, the Mexican shaman who first introduced Westerners to “magic mushrooms” in the 1950s, Pinkola Estés boasts a background in psychology, including graduate work in ethno-clinical and analytical psychology. She’s also a post-trauma specialist who worked at Columbine High School for three years following the 1999 mass shooting. Pinkola Estés was appointed as a representative of traditional indigenous use and religious use.
Why she wants to be on the board: “Having served before with DORA for 13 years as governors’ appointee to Colo. State Grievance Board, I see the deep importance of civic participation for public safety and for better lives for our citizens,” Pinkola Estés wrote in her application. “I think I can help to bring new helping ways, while honoring old ways that still work well.”
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2025
Ernestine Gonzales works in health promotion for Beacon Health Options where she’s responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, including budgets and compliance. Gonzales has spent 18 years working in both for-profit and nonprofit healthcare and in her current role, she worked with the Colorado Department of Corrections to develop a program to help inmates transition from prison back into their communities. Gonzales was appointed as a representative of health care insurance and health care policy, past criminal justice reform efforts in Colorado, and disparities in access to healthcare services among different communities.
Why she wants to be on the board: “I found the best way to being a voice, share experiences, and being a catalyst of change is to get involved with those who impact legislation,” she wrote in her application. “Witnessing what is happening in the communities, boot on the ground and bringing those experiences to those who may not be able to speak with our neighborhoods or rural communities allows for new perspectives on issues.”
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2027
Joshua Goodwin is co-founder and CEO of Operation True North, a telehealth organization that offers mental health services for veterans, first responders and their families. Prior to Operation True North, Goodwin served in the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations specializing in counterintelligence and counterespionage. He was appointed as a representative of issues confronting veterans.
Why he wants to be on the board: “As a combat-wounded retired Air Force veteran, I am passionate about serving this population of heroes and ensuring they have access to world-class mental health care,” Goodwin wrote, in part, in his application. “I believe that psychedelics are the next evolution of that care and that Colorado needs people willing to spearhead its application. I want to ensure the veteran and first responder perspectives are represented on the advisory board.”
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2027
Dr. Alisa Hannum is a clinical psychologist at Colorado College where she provides psychotherapy to students experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, the effects of trauma, anxiety, and depression, among other ailments. Hannum has spent the majority of her decade-plus career working with veterans and the Veterans Health Administration to treat sexual trauma and combat-related trauma. She was appointed as a representative of mental and behavioral health providers and issues confronting veterans.
Why she wants to be on the board: “In 2020, I became interested in the possibility that psychedelic-assisted therapies may provide a unique avenue to improving care for Veterans with PTSD. I completed a 100-hour training and certification in psychedelic-assisted therapy with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies in December 2021. I also helped to develop and implement a Ketamine Assisted Therapy treatment program at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA in Denver,” Hannum wrote, in part, in her application. “As someone who is passionate about providing mental health care to individuals who have experienced sexual trauma, I am also very committed to ensuring that the guidelines created by the NMHA include safeguards to prevent abuses that may occur when bad actors implement psychedelic therapies.”
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2027
David Lucero currently serves as Sheriff of Pueblo County, where he oversees the law enforcement, detention and emergency services divisions. Lucero joined the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office in 2004, serving in roles such as patrol deputy, major crimes detective, law enforcement bureau chief and undersheriff. He was elected sheriff in November 2022. Gov. Polis also recently appointed Lucero to the State’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Board. He was appointed as a representative of past criminal justice reform.
Why he wants to be on the board: “I have been a law enforcement officer for the past 23 years. I want to ensure that the implementation of natural medicines in Colorado is safe for the public,” Lucero wrote in his application.
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2027
Heather Lundy Nelson is founder and CEO of Edgwater-based Khesed Wellness, a nonprofit that offers discounted therapy to uninsured and underinsured individuals in Colorado and multiple other states. Khesed Wellness also offers several pro bono therapy programs. Lundy Nelson previously served on Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s Behavioral Health Steering Committee. They were appointed as a representative of mental health and behavioral health providers and disparities in access to health care services among different communities.
Why they want to be on the board: “I am uniquely qualified and passionate about health equity within the natural medicine sector in light of my intersections as a non-binary and queer person, mental health and natural medicine entrepreneur, licensed professional counselor, and someone with lived mental health experience personally transformed by natural medicines,” Lundy Nelson wrote, in part, in their application. “I also started my first company in the cannabis industry (2014) and have first-hand experience about ways the Natural Medicine Advisory Board can learn from and not repeat lesions from the inequities within the cannabis industry, especially as an underrepresented entrepreneur.”
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2027
Dr. Suzanne Sisley currently works as principal investigator at the Scottsdale Research Institute’s Field to Healed Foundation in Arizona where she grows, manufactures and studies cannabis, psilocybin and LSD for use in clinical trials. She is also an internal medicine/palliative MD and psychiatrist. She was appointed as a representative of mycology and natural medicine cultivation.
Why she wants to be on the board: “Dr. Sisley was granted (the) first-ever DEA C1 license to cultivate her own bulk psilocybin mushrooms for clinical trials at her lab and around the U.S. Her team is the first to develop validated methods for measuring psilocybin/psilocin potency in whole mushrooms. And she pledged to reject patent opportunities and make all their findings open source for everyone to learn,” Sisley wrote, in part, in her application. “Sue is striving to put crucial medically active plants/fungi through (the) entire FDA drug development process to eventually be available in the market as a safer alternative to synthetic pharmaceuticals.”
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2025
Until April 11, Skippy Upton Mesirow served as an Aspen city councilperson. His self-described “life’s mission is to heal our politics.” His background prior to holding public office includes working on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s campaign in 2010. When he moved to Aspen, he founded an organization called the Elected Leaders Collective, which offers mental health and well-being services for elected officals. Upton Mesirow was appointed as a representative of permitted organization criteria.
Why he wants to be on the board: “As a sitting City Council member, I do deep policy and legislative work in the mental health space, supporting progressive policy. I have lived and continue to evolve in my own mental health journey. Therapeutic plant medicine retreats have been a significant part of my journey and growth,” Upton Mesirow wrote, in part, in his application. “Amongst legislators who could serve on this commission, I have deep personal experience, extreme passion, and deep lived and studied knowledge of the field, and an amazing network to call on. I am Zendo trained as (a) psychedelic sitter, and will be taking a psychedelic certificate program to myself serve in this field.”
On the board until: Jan. 31, 2025
Billy Wynne is chairman of Wynne Health Group, described as “one of the largest health policy and advocacy firms in Washington.” Wynne also founded Awake, Denver’s first sober bar, and served as the company’s CEO until it closed in 2022. He’s also a board member of the Zen Center of Denver and completed the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program in 2023. Wynne was appointed as as a representative of health care insurance and healthcare policy and public health.
Why he wants to be on the board: “I believe that the natural medicines that will become available to Coloradans due to the Natural Medicine Health Act hold great promise for helping patients with mental illness, an aspect of medicine where there are currently profound shortfalls in access and quality,” Wynne wrote in his application. “I have benefited from the use of psilocybin in a therapeutic setting and thus believe I can bring some valuable personal experience to the work of this Board. More broadly, my long career in health policy should be beneficial to the Board’s work, particularly with regard to considering ways to ensure equitable access to these medicines, including via coverage by private and public insurance programs.”
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