The Center Origin in downtown Denver has become the first facility in Colorado to receive a state license to offer psychedelic therapy under the Natural Medicine Health Act.
Licensed by the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Natural Medicine Division, The Center Origin was officially approved on April 11. Located on Blake Street, the center will provide supervised psilocybin sessions once a licensed testing facility becomes operational to supply the mushrooms.
Colorado began accepting applications for psychedelic healing centers on December 31, 2024. As of Friday, the state has approved one product manufacturer license, four micro-facility licenses, and received 16 additional applications — eight for standard centers and eight for micro-facilities. No testing labs have yet been licensed.
The state’s psilocybin program was launched following voter approval in 2022, making Colorado the second state after Oregon to legalize regulated psychedelic therapy.
Elizabeth Cooke, founder and CEO of The Center Origin, says clients will undergo a safety screening and goal-setting process before being paired with a clinical facilitator. Sessions will last between six and eight hours and cost around $3,500.
“If you’re in psychotherapy for a long time, or you’re on medication, those costs are ongoing and there’s no end in sight,” said Cooke. “This is kind of a one-and-done.”
Cooke acknowledged challenges in launching the center, including concerns about the unregulated underground market. “There’s a huge underground market, and people can buy psychedelic mushrooms online and they could be by themselves,” she noted.
Cooke hopes to begin offering sessions later this month.
