Efforts to legalize psychedelic mushrooms in Washington have encountered significant obstacles, stemming from differing viewpoints, concerns over costs and equity, and fears that pharmaceutical companies might monopolize a natural remedy abundant in the region’s forests.
Despite the fragmented public discussion, an underground movement of advocates and activists is gaining momentum. Decriminalization initiatives in various cities and counties coincide with emerging clinical research showing that psilocybin—the main psychedelic component in mushrooms—can provide relief for individuals grappling with severe depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction.
In a parallel effort, a Washington physician has initiated a petition making its way through federal channels to reclassify psilocybin from a Schedule I to a Schedule II drug. This change would facilitate more regulated research and increase accessibility. Dr. Sunil Aggarwal, a palliative care doctor at the AIMS Institute in Seattle, may find support from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has expressed endorsement for the legalization of psychedelics for mental health purposes.
A state task force composed of medical professionals, social workers, religious leaders, veterans, psychologists, pharmaceutical representatives, and government officials aimed to accomplish two key goals: to inform state legislators about the latest psilocybin clinical research and to assess the requirements for regulating its clinical use in Washington.
Some in the task force, initially expected meetings to center on the growing evidence supporting the supervised use of psilocybin as an effective treatment for mental health conditions. However, attempts to establish a framework for licensed service centers and facilitators in Washington state did not progress beyond committee review during the 2025 legislative session in Olympia.
