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Colorado’s Natural Medicine Health Act, passed by voters in November 2022, legalized natural medicines, which include psilocybin, psilocin, DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline for personal cultivation and use. In 2023 SB 23-390 established a regulated program for commercialization of these products.
Read on to learn more about ins and outs of Colorado’s new Natural Medicine program.
Personal Use and Cultivation of Natural Medicine
Colorado legalized the personal use and cultivation of psilocybin, psilocin, DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline for adults 21 and older. Importantly, sales of these substances and services associated with them remain unlawful outside of Colorado’s regulated market.
There are also still strict limits on individual cultivation and manufacture, so its important to understand the law before engaging in any of these activities. Most notably, cultivation areas cannot exceed 12’ x 12’, and must occur in an enclosed locked space.
Regulated Use of Natural Medicine
What’s Currently Legal?
Currently regulated natural medicine businesses and providers may only facility psilocybin and psilocin experiences. Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and certain forms of mescaline are slated for incorporation in the regulated program on or after June 1, 2026, while the timeline for ibogaine remains to be seen.
What Business Licenses Are Available?
Colorado offers licenses to 6 distinct business types
- Natural Medicine Cultivation Facility – Cultivates natural medicine-bearing plants, currently limited to psilocybin and psilocin-bearing mushrooms.
- Natural Medicine Micro Cultivation Facility – smaller version of a Cultivation license, currently limited to storing a maximum of 750 grams of dried Fruiting Bodies.
- Natural Medicine Product Manufacturer –
- Natural Medicine Testing Facility – Tests regulated natural medicine products for potency, contamination, research, or other purposes.
- Healing Center – Provides natural medicine-related services to participants
- Micro Healing Center – smaller version of a Healing Center License, limited to storing a maximum of 750 grams of dried Fruiting Bodies on site.
Additionally Colorado requires that the following individuals involved in the industry get a license:
- Owners of natural medicine businesses
- Facilitators of natural medicine experiences (licensed and regulated by …)
- Other employees of natural medicine businesses – known as “handlers,” and regulated by the NMD.
We’d be happy to discuss which business type may be right fit for you and the licenses you’ll need to get up and running. Get stared by sending a message on our contact page or LinkedIn.
How do you Apply?
Businesses that produce natural medicines or sell natural medicine services, their owners, and many of their employees are regulated by the Natural Medicine Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue (NMD), while individual providers that facilitate natural medicine experiences commercially are regulated by the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).
As I covered in How to Prepare for a Colorado Natural Medicine License Application, applications for Regulated Natural Medicine Businesses, including Healing Centers, Cultivation Facilities, Product Manufacturers, Testing Facilities, regulated handlers of these products, and Owners of these licenses, opened on December 31, 2024. For more details on how to prepare for and apply for these licenses be sure to check out that post.