Majority of Oregon counties will see Magic Mushrooms back on November ballot

SALEM, Ore. — From a tourist attraction in the early 1900's speculated to hold healing powers in its mineral springs, to a medical center and most recently a lodge and retreat, Buckhorn Mineral Springs Ranch still maintains many of its original structures. The old-time charm of the 124-acre ranch is one of the reasons Myles Katz says he was drawn to buy the place for $3.6 million last year with the intent of turning it into a psilocybin retreat.

"This property is very unique. It has a long history of healing dating back to indigenous use of the land," he said. "The space really lends to being in nature and so that is a really beneficial component to going through these types of (psilocybin) therapies."

Katz moved from Amsterdam to Ashland after Oregon passed Measure 109, which legalized treatments using psilocybin - commonly called magic mushrooms - under certain controlled circumstances, like licensed therapeutic settings.

The historic property still contains old medical equipment from the mid-1900s, left by its former owner, Vienna-trained physician Herman Wexler. Showing off an old door with a crack that had been repaired by resin rather than replaced, Katz pointed out that the property's last owners went to extraordinary lengths to keep the bones of the place intact. He, he too hopes to keep the place true to its roots by preserving the property's legacy of "healing."

But that plan stalled after Jackson County commissioners voted to join 23 other counties that are sending the measure back to voters on this November's ballot.

Measure 109 gave counties the option to either opt-out or place a moratorium on psilocybin by first okaying it with their voters in November. An ordinance would have to be sent to the ballot before the statewide rules go into effect in September. Counties can also pass ordinances at any point to change time and place regulations on psilocybin.

In a data analysis project, KATU contacted all 36 counties to assess which ones intend to put the measure back on the ballot. This map shows which 24 counties have already started the public hearing process required to put an opt-out measure on the ballot.

Seven will not be putting it on their ballot and will instead adopt statewide rules in September. The five other counties remain undecided

The majority of voters seeing this on the ballot again are in counties that had seen a majority of "no" votes on Measure 109 in 2020.

Commissioners in Jackson, Clatsop, Clackamas, and Deschutes counties, however, saw more "yes" votes and are essentially asking their electorate to reconsider.

Some commissioners cited OHA's still unfinalized rules on licensure as a reason to ask voters the question again.

"I just think it's not good public policy to go ahead and approve for the county of an over 400,000 population, of which a small percentage may partake of this, before we really know what is going on," said Clackamas Commissioner Tootie Smith during the county's July 14 meeting.

Other commissioners indicated they were wary of legalizing yet another controlled substance in Oregon, citing negative impacts to counties from illegal marijuana grows and Measure 110, which decriminalized small amounts of hard drugs in the state.

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"I will say I do have concerns, we are a little bit shy about time, place, and manner because of what happens with marijuana," said Jackson County Commissioner Colleen Roberts in the Commission's July 27 meeting.

Those in favor cite research that points to the potential of psilocybin to treat people with PTSD and addiction.

Ian Wallin said before using the substance as a treatment he struggled for years to recover from a severe addiction to Meth and other substances.

"It brings the stuff up that you don't want to look at," he said tearing up while recounting how the treatment made him a "less selfish person" who cares more for his son and family.

"You have to look at your behaviors (when taking psilocybin) and you have to look at how your behaviors have affected other people which can be really overwhelming," he said. The Ashland resident is in the process of becoming licensed through OHA to provide psilocybin at a space he rented in downtown Ashland.

Opt-out ballot measures like the one in Jackson County, if passed, would not apply to incorporated cities like Ashland that get to make their own decisions. Ashland city leaders already indicated that they will not stand in the way of voters' decisions to approve the measure. Katz's ranch however is located in the county's unincorporated area about 11 miles southeast of Ashland proper. He said if voters decide to accept the opt-out he still plans to use the space to train other psilocybin practitioners. He does not believe the opt-out will pass but said he feels commissioners are stalling the process by sending it to the ballot.

The following is a list of Counties and where they stand on 109 including how they voted in 2020:

• Baker County: Sending to the ballot. Voted it down 36.3/63.7 in 2020.
• Benton County: Commissioners have not decided yet. Voted in favor 63.4/36.6 in 2020.
• Clackamas County: Sending to the ballot. Voted in favor 52.4/47.6 in 2020.
• Clatsop County: Sending to the ballot. Voted in favor 54.9/45.1 in 2020.
• Columbia County: Undecided voted in favor 50.6/49.4 in 2020.
• Coos County: Sending to voters. Voted against it 45.3/54.7 in 2020.
• Crook County: Sending to voters voted against it 35.3/64.7 in 2020.
• Curry County: Will not send to voters voted in favor 50.3/49.7 in 2020.
• Deschutes County: Sending to voters voted in favor 52.6/47.4 in 2020.
• Douglas County: Sending to voters voted against it 39.7/60.3 in 2020.
• Gilliam County: Sending to voters voted in against it 35.6/64.4 in 2020.
• Grant County: Sending to voters voted in against it 33.3/66.7 in 2020.
• Harney County: Sending to voters voted against it 29.9/70.1 in 2020.
• Hood River County: Will not send to voters, voted in favor 63.2/36.8 in 2020.
• Jackson County: Sending to voters voted in favor 51.1/48.9 in 2020.
• Jefferson County: Sending to voters voted against it 40.3/59.7 in 2020.
• Josephine County: Sending to voters, voted against it 46.3/53.7 in 2020.
• Klamath County: Sending to voters, voted against it 69.6/60.4 in 2020.
• Lake County: Sending to voters voted against it 29/71 in 2020.
• Lane County: will not send to voters, voted in favor 59.9/40.1 in 2020.
• Lincoln County: will not send to voters, voted in favor 57.6/42.4 in 2020.
• Linn County: Sending to voters voted against it 44.5/55.5 in 2020.
• Malheur County: Sending to voters voted against it 30.4/69.6 in 2020.
• Marion County: Sending to voters voted 49.4/50.6 against it in 2020.
• Morrow County: Sending to voters voted 34/66 against it in 2020.
• Multnomah County: Will not send to voters voted 71.2/28.8 in favor in 2020.
• Polk County: Sending to voters voted 48.6/51.4 against it in 2020.
• Sherman County: Still undecided. Voted 34.3/65.7 against it in 2020.
• Tillamook County: Sending to voters, voted 51.4/48.6 against it in 2020.
• Umatilla County: Sending to voters voted 35.9/64.1 against it in 2020.
• Union County: sending to voters voted 37.9/62.1 against it in 2020.
• Wallowa County: Sending to voters voted 34.5/65.5 against it in 2020.
• Wasco County: will not send to voters voted 50.4/49.6 in favor in 2020.
• Washington County: undecided, voted in favor 59.1/40.9 in 2020.
• Wheeler County: Undecided voted 34.8/65.2 against it in 2020.
• Yamhill County: Will not send to voters, voted 51.1/49.9 in favor in 2020.