Voters in Philomath will decide in May whether to prohibit psilocybin-related businesses and manufacturing within city limits or allow them.
In 2020, Philomath voters helped pass Measure 109, known as the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act. The initiative passed by an 18% margin in the Benton County city.
But Philomath City Council placed a moratorium on psilocybin-related business creation. Now, that ban is set to expire. Under state law, the prohibition must be referred to voters.
So, in the May 19 election, Philomath will get another vote on psychedelic mushroom centers.
City Manager Chris Workman said either way the electorate chooses to go - Philomath is ready.
“If the residents want it banned, then it’s banned,” he said. “If the residents want it allowed, there are some ‘time, place and manner’ restrictions,” Workman said. “And they’re not over the top. We don’t want it right next door to a school. You know, we want to limit the type of advertising and things that are on the front of the building.”
A "yes" vote means the city would continue to prohibit psilocybin-related businesses. A "no" vote means they would be allowed.
Philomath’s ballot measure submission was delayed from last November to this May to avoid a $50,000 cost, as the county had no other ballot measures at that time and the expense of adding a new measure would fall upon the city.
Workman said the moratorium gave the city the opportunity to develop “time, place and manner restrictions,” important for safety and good business practice. Measure 2-147 affects both new establishments and the potential expansion of existing psilocybin services within city limits.
Philomath is a small community, just over 5,600 people in about 2 square miles. Workman said when deliberating the moratorium, the city council considered Philomath’s proximity to other cities such as Corvallis, Salem and Eugene, each of which have fully licensed Psilocybin Service Centers.
