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Washington

Psilocybin legal status, legislation & access — 2025

State status
City-level only
Federal scheduling
Schedule I
Key legislation
SB 5263 (2023)
Last reviewed
June 2026

Status depends on the activity: possession, supervised administration, sale, transport, cultivation, research, and service provision may be treated differently.

What local context does not answer

Local context can explain policy history, state rules, city ordinances, public-health resources, and community support. It cannot determine whether a substance is safe, effective, lawful for a specific person, available through a specific channel, or appropriate for any individual.

Is it legal for me? Legal status depends on substance, activity, jurisdiction, date, and official source.
Can I buy it? Commercial access is separate from legal status and is not addressed here.
Is it safe? Safety depends on medical history, medications, psychiatric risk, dose, and context.
Does it work? Efficacy requires controlled outcome evidence, not location.
Is a source reliable? Source reliability requires independent verification and quality control.
Am I personally eligible? Eligibility depends on program rules, clinician review, and individual facts.

Enforcement context

Washington has no statewide decriminalization or licensed access framework for psilocybin as of June 2026; psilocybin is a Schedule I controlled substance under the state Uniform Controlled Substances Act (RCW 69.50.204). SB 5263 — the Psilocybin Services Act — was enacted in 2023 but was scaled back from a service-center model to a Psilocybin Task Force and a University of Washington pilot program serving a small number of veterans and first responders with PTSD and alcohol-use disorder. The task force's 2024 report recommended a licensed-facilitator model similar to Oregon's, and follow-up access bills (SB 5201 and companion HB 1433, 2025) remain pending and have not become law. Several jurisdictions — Seattle (2021), Olympia, Port Townsend, Tacoma (2025), and Jefferson County — have passed local deprioritization resolutions, but these are policy directives, not legalization, and do not bind state or federal prosecutors. Federal Schedule I status applies statewide.

Local policy context

This section summarizes policy context. It is not legal advice or current-law verification.

Washington's path is legislature-and-task-force driven rather than ballot-driven. The 2023 Psilocybin Services Act started ambitious but was narrowed to a study task force and a University of Washington research pilot; a recommended licensed-services model has not yet been enacted. Meanwhile a wave of city deprioritization resolutions, led by Seattle in 2021, signals local pressure for statewide reform.

Driver Legislative bills and a state task force (SB 5263, 2023), plus a city deprioritization wave.
Current access No public access; only a limited UW research pilot for veterans and first responders.
Pending Task force's 2024 report urged a licensed-facilitator model; SB 5201 / HB 1433 (2025) remain pending.
Federal overlay Psilocybin remains Schedule I under state (RCW 69.50.204) and federal law.

Legal and policy timeline

This timeline documents policy and legal history. It does not describe current access options.

  1. Oct 2021Official (city)
    Seattle deprioritizes entheogen enforcement

    Seattle's City Council unanimously adopts Resolution 32021, making investigation and arrest for entheogen-related activity among the city's lowest law-enforcement priorities — at the time the largest U.S. city to do so.source →

  2. May 2023Official (state)
    SB 5263 enacted — task force and UW pilot

    Washington enacts the Psilocybin Services Act, but in scaled-back form: it creates a Psilocybin Task Force and a University of Washington pilot for veterans and first responders, rather than the originally proposed licensed service centers.source →

  3. 2024News
    Task force recommends a licensed-services model

    The state Psilocybin Task Force releases its final report recommending a licensed-facilitator framework similar to Oregon's; the legislature has not enacted such a program.source →

  4. Jan 2025Official (city)
    Tacoma joins the deprioritization wave

    Tacoma's City Council unanimously adopts Resolution 41609, deprioritizing entheogen enforcement and urging statewide decriminalization — joining Seattle, Olympia, Port Townsend, and Jefferson County.source →

Frequently asked questions

Does Washington's psilocybin pilot create public access?

No. The pilot established under SB 5263 is a limited University of Washington research study for veterans and first responders. Statewide possession, sale, therapeutic services, and general public access remain prohibited as of June 19, 2026.

Does this page tell me where to access psilocybin in this state?

No. This page provides legal, policy, and public-health context. It does not list vendors, service centers, providers, sources, shipping options, or access routes.

Is a city deprioritization resolution the same as legalization?

No. A deprioritization resolution only directs local police to treat enforcement as a low priority. It does not change state or federal law, does not bind state or federal prosecutors, and does not create a legal market or a regulated access program.

Does state or city action change federal law?

No. State and federal law are separate systems. State-level programs and city resolutions do not erase federal controlled-substance status; psilocybin remains Schedule I federally.

Are the listed support resources psilocybin providers?

No. They are general mental-health, crisis, veteran, family, disability, or community-support resources. They are not psilocybin providers, access routes, or endorsements.

Mental-health and community-support resources

These are general mental-health, crisis, veteran, disability, family, and community-support resources for anyone in or near Washington. They are not psilocybin providers, psychedelic services, service centers, vendors, access pathways, or endorsements, and listing them is not a statement that psilocybin or microdosing is safe, legal, or effective as a treatment.

If there is immediate danger, a medical emergency, seizure, chest pain, severe confusion, or risk of self-harm or harm to others, contact emergency services (call 911) or call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) immediately.

Crisis and mental-health support

Call or text 988
Free, confidential crisis support, 24/7. Chat at 988lifeline.org.
1-800-662-4357 (HELP) · TTY 1-800-487-4889
Free, confidential treatment referral and information, 24/7. Text your ZIP to 435748.
SAMHSA's locator for licensed mental health and substance-use treatment facilities.
1-800-950-6264 · text "NAMI" to 62640
Peer information, referrals and support (not a crisis line), Mon–Fri 10am–10pm ET.
Call or text 1-866-789-1511
Statewide 24/7 behavioral-health help line (substance use, problem gambling, mental health) operated by Crisis Connections; connects callers to local treatment.

Community & peer support

Scope (National / Statewide / Local) indicates a resource's service area, not endorsement by this site.

Veterans & service members
1-800-562-2308
State veteran benefits, counseling, and Veterans Service Officers.
Washington Military Helpline (Lines for Life)Statewide
1-888-457-4838 · text MIL1 to 839863
Free, confidential 24/7 counseling and crisis support for service members, veterans, and their families.
Dial 988 then press 1 · text 838255
Confidential VA crisis support for veterans, service members, and their families.
How eligible veterans access VA mental health care.
Single parents & families
Dial 211
Free referrals to local food, housing, childcare, and family-support services.
Disabled residents
Federal line connecting people with disabilities to community services and benefits.
Older adults
1-800-677-1116
U.S. Administration on Aging service linking older adults and caregivers to local help.
General
Free local support groups and family education across Washington.
Free, confidential peer support during and after psychedelic experiences. Not a medical or emergency service.