Remember when cannabis was so taboo to us when our middle school teachers would warn us about the peer pressure of smoking? Today, Oregon is number one in the country with the most dispensaries in the state with more than 600 shops. There are more dispensaries than McDonald’s or Starbucks’ in the area. We can walk down the street and remember a time where this was literally an illegal drug. Now, Oregon has passed Measure 109. Measure 109 has created a program that can serve psilocybin products, like mushrooms and fungi, to people 21 years or older for therapeutic purposes.
There was a time when alcohol was prohibited in the whole country. Now we can walk to a 7-Eleven and get a pack of beers. I think that eventually, marijuana will get to the same level of normalcy; which eventually leads to the idea that there will be mushroom dispensaries. I know it’s a weird concept to think about, but when we consider how far we have come with the progression of alcohol and weed, it’s not too far of a reality.
When we think of how normal alcohol is compared to 100 years ago (the prohibition era), we have progressed to having a normal drink in restaurants and at home. Likewise, we are progressing on the normalization of cannabis. The first legalization of medical marijuana was in 1996 in California and now recreational use is legalized. Now, Oregon has stepped up to become the first state to legalize therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms. Will we progress to taking shrooms regularly in the next 20 years?
Microdosing has become a common practice among our generation. Microdosing is taking small amounts of a chosen substance, such as marijuana or psychedelics like mushrooms. The amount is small enough to feel the effects of the drug without it affecting the present reality that you are in. A lot of people microdose marijuana to control anxiety, stress, and depression. It has become a popular practice among university students and now that psilocybin mushrooms are decriminalized in our state, microdosing ‘shrooms might become the new trend because of the positive effects it has on mental health. — Ashley Meza
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