Public commenter asks Pitkin County health board to help collect local data on psychedelics as statewide rules change

Martha Hamill, co‑founder and executive director of the Aspen Psychedelic Resource Center, used the Board of Health public comment period on Oct. 10 to ask Pitkin County Public Health to partner on systematic data collection about local psychedelic use and related incidents as Colorado implements the Natural Medicine Health Act.

"It's really important that people do this mindfully, and that anyone who's choosing to have a relationship with these medicines is able to effectively assess risk," Hamill said, introducing her organization and requesting help developing a community survey and an incident reporting pathway. She said the center has been collaborating with Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety on survey design and called for a central place for incident reports beyond ad hoc accounts she currently receives from community members.

Hamill noted that Colorado’s Natural Medicine Health Act decriminalized plant‑based psychedelics for adults 21 and older and authorized regulated psilocybin clinics; state rules and licensing processes are under development and clinics are expected to appear in January 2025. She told the board that Pitkin County voted overwhelmingly in favor of the ballot measure (staff noted roughly 75 percent in the county, 81 percent in the city of Aspen per Hamill’s remarks).

Board members asked for more detail and flagged potential next steps. Jordana responded to Hamill’s request by calling the proposal "food for thought" and said the board could discuss it during a future round‑robin agenda item. Board member Tory said she was interested in receiving more information and suggested the board gather baseline data on local use before adopting any formal policy. Other board members, including medical practitioners on the board, urged caution: they supported data collection but warned that clinical data collection and formal medical studies should follow accepted medical protocols. Dr. Krista Giesel and other clinicians said medical‑quality data and careful definitions would be needed if the board seeks actionable safety data.

Hamill emphasized community outreach and multiple goals for data: patterns of use (mental‑health, spiritual or recreational), demographics, potential misuse, and incidents involving young people. She asked for cooperation with local agencies — law enforcement, hospital crisis centers and school officials — while acknowledging privacy limits on patient records.

Pitkin County staff and board members said they would discuss the request further, including whether data collection should be a staff‑led public health survey, a partnered academic study or a different model. Several members asked staff to place the matter on a future agenda for more detailed discussion rather than immediately taking a formal position or launching a program.

One immediate practical suggestion from members was to develop communications emphasizing that use is restricted to adults 21 and older under state law and to prioritize outreach for parents and youth prevention resources. The board did not adopt a formal policy or take binding action on the request during the Oct. 10 meeting.