Pioneering Psychedelic Policy: Nevada’s Senate Bill 242 and Beyond

Presented by Kate Cotter, executive director of the Nevada Coalition for Psychedelic Medicines, this webinar will look at the passage of Nevada’s Senate Bill 242, which established a Psychedelic Medicines Working Group. “The Mushroom” bill initially only had three legislators supporting it, but by the end of the session, it had 9 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle and a landslide victory on both the Senate and Assembly floors.

With lawmakers in the state currently looking to introduce two separate bills for the 2025 legislative session – one focused on reduced penalties and one for legalized access to psychedelic therapy – what can Nevada learn from Oregon and Colorado?

This webinar will focus on:

• The importance of implementing state and local initiatives
• Understanding the nuances between decriminalization vs. legalization
• The current status of psychedelic policy reform in the United States
• What the future could hold for Nevada and other states who follow similar paths

Kate Cotter is the co-founder and executive director of the Nevada Coalition for Psychedelic Medicines, a 501(c)4 nonprofit dedicated to education, advocacy, and policy reform around psychedelics. She has been researching psychedelic medicines for nearly two decades and is passionate about their healing potential for treating conditions such as PTSD, addiction, depression, and anxiety, in addition to offering profound opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. Kate believes that revising drug policy on the issue of psychedelics is a crucial step in bringing much needed healing to our communities, as well as a critical matter of criminal justice reform.

She also serves as the executive director of Sierra Psychedelic Society, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to providing education, building community, and promoting risk management around psychedelic medicines. Kate’s passion for psychedelic therapy dovetails with her studies in depth psychology, Jungian theory, neuroscience, mindfulness, and meditation. She is a semi-retired professional singer/songwriter, certified yoga instructor, trained flow state coach, Vital graduate, and she holds degrees in Religion and French.