Oregon
Oregon threatens to revoke approval of psilocybin school that claims religious exemption
Oregon regulators are threatening to revoke their approval of a psilocybin mushroom facilitator school that holds retreats in Southern Oregon and claims it should get religious exemptions.
Psilocybin mushrooms at Rose City Laboratories, March 17, 2023. Oregon regulators are threatening to revoke their approval of a psilocybin mushroom facilitator school, Myco-Method, that holds retreats in Southern Oregon and claims it should get religious exemptions.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
The Oregon Health Authority approved Myco-Method to train future psilocybin guides in March of 2023 as part of its roll-out of Measure 109 which created the county’s first regulatory framework for therapeutic psychedelic mushroom use. The OHA has so far approved over 20 schools to train psilocybin facilitators.
But, as the Willamette Week first reported, the problems began for Myco-Method when the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission became involved. That agency licenses private career schools, which now include psilocybin facilitator training programs. The agency didn’t approve Myco-Method at first because the group didn’t have enough reserve capital, according to the school’s founder Shasta Winn.
“Everything that they’re requiring is something that would involve changing a lot of the structure of how [Myco-method] was designed,” said Winn. She explained that Myco-Method is affiliated with an interfaith religious organization Saba Cooperative that’s not “motivated towards profit.”
Winn said that after clarification by HECC about what capital Myco-Method needed, she faced a different hurdle due to the agency requiring licensing fees of over $5,000 for each of her instructors rather than one fee for the entire school. She said the multiple required fees are required because Myco-Method does not operate one physical school. The in-person portion of her training is hosted at a variety of temporary locations, including Ashland.
Winn petitioned for religious exemption for HECC licensing requirements, which was denied. Now the OHA has told Winn her school could lose approval as soon as this summer.
In the meantime, Winn has filed a legal complaint against HECC. She also has a suit claiming Oregon’s psilocybin regulatory agencies violated antitrust laws and her constitutional rights due to their licensing requirements. She said around 20 students have gone through Myco-Method’s curriculum while her organization has been in regulatory limbo.
Winn said she believes in the power of psilocybin-guided therapy to help people. But she’s pessimistic about the legal framework created in Oregon.
“I do feel like it has the potential to really change people on a personal level, who can then really make the world a better place,” said Winn. “But I don’t see it being possible if it starts off in the same way of corrupt, money-driven… aggression.”
The OHA and HECC didn’t respond to requests for comment. The OHA told Winn she has until early July to request an administrative hearing on the topic. Winn said she plans to do that if her suits against the agencies are still pending.
The good times keep on rolling for the Oregon Ducks in the recruiting world. Dan Lanning and the Ducks scored a massive commitment from five-star quarterback Will Mencl out of Chandler, Arizona.
Oregon had been rumored to be leading the race for Mencl’s services for months, but the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per Rivals, cleared the air and committed to the Ducks on Wednesday evening. Mencl chose the Ducks over Auburn and Penn State, both of which battled hard for him down the stretch.
However, Mencl has been connected to Oregon for a long time. While he was offered last fall before breaking out in his junior season, Mencl has been a fan of the program long before he popped up on the Ducks’ recruiting radar. In a post shared by Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong, Mencl was announced as a quarterback for the Ducks when he was a kid at the 2019 NFL Draft fan experience in 2019.
Now, Mencl is ready to don the green and yellow for real and make his childhood dreams come true. The Ducks have made a point to get Mencl on campus as often as possible and as recently as last week. The continued connection between both sides is ultimately what made the decision easy for the nation’s top passer. Mencl said he told Lanning and the Oregon staff about his decision on Sunday.
“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff,” Mencl said after committing. “I feel like that continued to grow over time, especially when I first got there last spring. Being able to sit down with Coach Koa, really being an underlooked guy at that time, and kind of blowing up my junior season. And then, the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. I felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Koa Ka’ai, Oregon’s new quarterback coach, made waves earlier in the offseason after his recruiting test about ice cream flavors went viral, but that doesn’t appear to have scared Mencl off. In fact, the two have a close connection that Oregon hopes will translate to success on the field in the near future.
“My relationship with Coach Koa, I feel like that is super, super strong,” Mencl told Rivals. “I’ve had a lot of discussions with Coach Lanning about the culture there and how they’re going to continue to sustain greatness throughout the program.”
Mencl exploded onto the national recruiting scene with a massive junior season for Chandler. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. He also rushed for 741 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
The Ducks expect to have some competition for Mencl to compete with when he joins the team for the 2027 season, with Dylan Raiola and Akili Smith Jr. already on the roster and competing for a role as the backup. Oregon has gone to the transfer portal as well in recent seasons, finding success with Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore.
Oregon has recruited well at quarterback in the past, establishing an NFL pedigree that attracted Mencl. Maybe he will be the one to buck the trend and give the Ducks a true, homegrown product under center.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
‘Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,’ a Wine Enthusiast contributor said of an Oregon wine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Wine Enthusiast released a list of the top 40 sparkling wines around the world in 2026 – highlighting two bottles of bubbly from Oregon.
“While it can seem like you need a fortune to enjoy high quality sparkling wine, you honestly don’t. Excellent affordable bubbles are being produced around the world, often in places you might not expect. Each of the selections on our inaugural Top 40 Sparkling Wines list delivers personality, freshness, and celebration for under $75,” Wine Enthusiast wrote.
Wine Enthusiast divided its list into separate sparkling categories including, Champagne, Italian Bollicine, American sparkling and bottles $25 and under.
Snagging a spot on the American sparkling list: Corollary Wines in McMinnville.
Corollarly’s 2021 Momtazi Carbonic Rosé Pinot Noir scored 96 points from Wine Enthusiast.
“This is a Peter Max print of a wine, with vivid aromas and flavors to match the wine’s electric Kool-Aid color. It is filled to the brim with aromas and flavors of macerated strawberries, candied rose petals, apricots, and a bitter note similar to watermelon rind. Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,” wrote Wine Enthusiast contributor Michael Alberty.
The second Oregon winery to earn a spot on the list: Lytle-Barnett in Dundee.
Wine Enthusiast also gave Lytle-Barnett’s 2018 Brut Rosé Pinot Noir Chardonnay 96 points.
“Bubbles as persistent as an eight-year-old with a question deliver aromas of dried rose petals, macerated strawberries, and a touch of fresh hay and talc. This 70/30 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend is packed with flavors of lemon zest, Honeycrisp apple slices drizzled in caramel, and a dollop of raspberry,” Alberty wrote.
The nods to Corollary and Lytle-Barnett come as the wineries recently helped launch Method Oregon, a nonprofit made up of 50 Oregon wineries aiming to turn Oregon into a global sparkling wine destination.
-
Maryland3 minutes agoVirginia, Pennsylvania breweries dominate World Beer Cup; MD medals
-
Michigan9 minutes agoLSU big man Jalen Reed commits to Michigan | UM Hoops.com
-
Massachusetts15 minutes agoMassachusetts tops U.S. in AI job loss risk, Tufts report says
-
Minnesota21 minutes agoMinnesota woman detained by ICE needs emergency surgery for tennis ball-sized ovarian cyst, lawmakers say
-
Mississippi27 minutes agoJackson council reviews water authority as Horhn offers few details on plan
-
Missouri33 minutes agoMissouri Senate rejects increase to school funding despite shortfall in state payments
-
Montana39 minutes agoMontana Class AA girls track and field leaders ahead of Optimist Invite
-
Nebraska45 minutes agoToday in History – April 23: Cottonwood named Nebraska’s state tree