🧐 Curious about coaching around legal psychedelics?

We’re wrapping up a week of talking about coaching and psychedelics.

This is Part 3 of a 3-part series. If you missed Part 1 about coaching around psychedelics requiring a prescription, catch it here, and Part 2 around microdosing, read it here.

What about coaching around LEGAL psychedelics? You might be wondering…

What if a psychedelic is LEGAL in my state or other states, can I coach clients then?

🥳 Yes, you can coach people IN YOUR STATE if a substance is legal – or in other states where it’s also legal.

❌ But NOT for use around specific medical conditions. And NOT with clients in states where the substance is illegal.

Just to be clear, by “legal”, I mean “recreationally” legal – not just “medically” legal….like recreational cannabis (in many states) or recreational psilocybin (in Colorado).

Right now, in most states, “medical marijuana” is legal to use and purchase from a medical dispensary when prescribed by a physician for a specific medical condition.

In some states, cannabis is legal for “recreational” use which means adults (over age 21) legally can purchase a limited amount of marijuana from a retail dispensary for personal use.

You can coach clients who are using legal psychedelics in their own lives – but you still can’t coach them around specific medical conditions. (Why? See Part 2 here if you missed it!)

It’s no different than coaching a client who wants to live a healthier lifestyle who likes to have a mojito with friends after work, or eat a bowl of ice cream while binging Netflix, or drink wine with dinner, or have a few beers while watching football. All of those things are legal. Just like legal recreational substances in certain states.

But, if you do coach clients in states with recreationally legal psychedelics, know these 3 caveats:

(1) You still need to be properly trained around the effects of psychedelics.

You need to be trained on how to know and watch for adverse reactions while coaching a client.

Even if a substance is legal, you need to make sure your client is safe and unharmed whether coaching them online or in person. If the client has a negative reaction during a coaching call, you’ll also need to immediately refer them to their doctor or therapist or call 911. You need to help keep them safe in an emergency.

(2) You CANNOT coach people around trauma – or help them “process” it.

As a coach, you CAN help people with diet and lifestyle changes in accordance with your state nutrition laws and help with addressing the UNDERLYING causes of disease.

And, as I talked about extensively in Part 2 of this series, you can’t coach them around “trauma” or any medical or mental health disease, condition, symptom, or medication itself. That’s considered the practice of medicine or therapy which requires a license.

(3) You’ll also want to use legal contracts and disclaimers.

You won’t be surprised when I say that you’ll want to use legal documents, of course!

Your legal documents and disclaimer language should assure clients that you are not substituting for the advice of their doctors – and you’re not giving medical, psychological, religious, legal, financial or any other professional advice.

(Remember, you need to SAY you don’t do these things. Then you also need to not actually DO these things.⬆️ That’s how you stay safe.)

If you have questions about which legal documents you need for working 1-on-1, in groups, or offering hybrid programs, just reach out to us here.

📚 If you want to know more about psychedelics and healing, also check out Michael Pollan’s best-selling book called How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression and Transcendence.* It’s fascinating.

It’s no surprise that the world – and the laws – will continue to change as time marches on.

So, as always, know you can take whatever level of risk you want in your own business. It’s your choice.

But, my job is to help educate you about areas of risk in your business based on where the laws are RIGHT NOW. #legallove 💗

Here’s to expanding the realm of holistic health and healing – but also to staying legally safe!

Want to know more about how to stay away from making a medical claim or getting in trouble for the unlicensed practice of medicine/therapy? Grab my quick & easy 1-hour DIY Master Class on “How Not To Make Medical Claims….And What to Do Instead HERE.

*In full disclosure (like a good lawyer!), I need to tell you that if you purchase Michael Pollan’s book through my Amazon link above, I’ll earn affiliate commission, but know that I wouldn’t recommend it if I didn’t think it was worth a read!