The Key Peninsula Psychedelic Society met for the first time in September 2024. Forty people filled the meeting space. The organizers, Sara and Kadin Rasor, were astonished at the response to their Facebook invitation, posted just three weeks earlier.
“The purpose of the KPPS is to educate, support, and advocate for the use of psilocybin,” said Sara Rasor, president of the society. KPPS is a registered nonprofit organization, with four board members and six advisory members.
The resurgence of interest in psilocybin comes from its use in treating a range of psychiatric disorders, according to The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (November 2024). The drug is thought to have value for the treatment of PTSD, major depression disorder, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and substance abuse disorders.
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring substance produced by several fungal species. Rasor said she became interested in the drug after years of struggling with debilitating physical ailments that were not adequately treated by traditional medicine. A former EMT and emergency management educator, Rasor has several health certifications. Currently, she is a health and wellness coach for medicinal cannabis use at the end of life.
The main focus of the KPPS is to provide users with support in microdosing psilocybin, she said.
Microdosing is the use of psilocybin in very small amounts on a regular schedule. A starting dose of 0.1 grams is suggested, according to psychedelicpassage.com. “The doses are ‘sub-perceptual,’ meaning that although enhancements to mood and cognition may be observed, you should feel generally sober throughout the day.”
Users do not experience any overt sensations or hallucinations and can complete all daily tasks without negative effects. The use and effects of the drug are purely subjective; there is no one prescribed dose. Doses are adjusted to achieve the desired efficacy in each individual.
One society member, Laini (last name withheld), likes the more holistic approach to medicine. She has ADHD and said “typical market drugs did not work well” for her. She has recently been working to fine-tune her dosing and establish a schedule.
Because psilocybin is a controlled substance, possession is illegal, and users must exercise caution in obtaining it. Many users prefer to grow their own mushrooms, a fairly simple process. Growers may grind and weigh their product and fill gelatin capsules, ensuring a consistent dose. Users may also break off pieces of a mushroom, weigh it until the desired weight is obtained, and then simply eat the mushroom. This method is simple but does not ensure a consistent dosage.
Matt, a veteran, has found microdosing psilocybin helpful in his treatment of service-related PTSD. After 15 years of intensive therapy through the VA, he learned about microdosing from another vet with similar trauma. Matt was inspired to try microdosing for himself. He learned how to grow mushrooms from the internet.
“It’s fundamentally changed my life, changed my relationships with every living creature on the planet,” he said.
After four years of use, Matt continues therapy and said his therapists have differing views on mushroom use. He has been able to discontinue other medications. “I feel like if the public knew of the benefits, there would be a larger outcry for these medicines to be decriminalized for people to use and get well. People are ready for something that is natural. I am a large proponent for safe and informed use.”
Stephanie has been microdosing for two years. Psilocybin was instrumental in helping reduce her anxiety about going out in public, which she found “almost impossible” after the Covid pandemic.
“It is so gentle, and my anxiety was reduced. I am grateful,” she said. She lives out of the area but comes to the KPPS for support. “It seems like a gift from nature. I want to let people know there is a nice, natural option for help with depression and anxiety.”
In 1971, the FDA determined that psilocybin has no medical use and a potential for abuse, making it a Schedule 1 drug.
The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law reported that research into psychedelics for improving mental health began in the 1960s. A backlash to the drug-using counterculture of the time led to its criminalization in 1971, and research stopped. However, the psychedelic drug psilocybin is once again emerging as a potential treatment for medical and psychiatric illnesses in the United States.
Only Oregon and Colorado have fully decriminalized the substance. Some municipalities in other states, including Washington, have also decriminalized psilocybin. Decriminalization means that enforcement and penalties may be minimized locally even while federal law remains in effect.
Some of the reported drawbacks to psilocybin include the lack of standardized dosing and the inability to determine the amount of psychoactive chemical consumed. Self-medication, without medical support, leaves users open to potentially harmful experiences.
Calls to poison control centers tripled across the U.S. in 2019 after the substance “was decriminalized and legalized in several cities and states,” according to The Conversation, an independent news source. Many of the reported cases were for adolescents requiring medical attention for hallucinations, delusions, agitation, rapid heart rate, and confusion.
“We want to make sure that there is safe and equitable access for everyone,” Rasor said. “We know what these medicines can do for people. We need to be here. The KP is welcoming.”
For more information, go to www.kppsychedelic.org.
This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Sara and Kadin Rasor. We regret the error.
UNDERWRITTEN BY THE FUND FOR NONPROFIT NEWS (NEWSMATCH) AT THE MIAMI FOUNDATION, THE ANGEL GUILD, ADVERTISERS, DONORS AND PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT, NONPROFIT LOCAL NEWS