Tom Eckert, a prominent figure in Oregon’s burgeoning psilocybin industry, has been fined $3,000 by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) for violating state regulations that he played a key role in establishing as part of the 2020 ballot measure that legalized the regulated use of psychedelic mushrooms.
Eckert, who serves as the executive director of InnerTrek, led a group psilocybin session on May 18, 2024, alongside facilitator Rachel Aiden at the InnerTrek service center in Southeast Portland.
According to OHA’s default final order dated July 22, Eckert and Aiden breached a critical rule by leaving the room for more than five minutes during the session, which is a violation of the law requiring facilitators to maintain continuous monitoring of clients administered with psilocybin.
The OHA’s order emphasized the importance of ensuring client safety during such sessions.
“On May 18, 2024, a facilitator was not always present during an administration session and clients were not continuously monitored by facilitators when co-facilitators Thomas Eckert and Rachel Aiden left the client administration area for longer than five minutes and did not maintain visual and audio contact with clients during that time,” wrote Andre Ourso, administrator for OHA’s Center for Health Protection.
In addition to this infraction, the report noted that InnerTrek had failed to adequately document secondary doses of psilocybin for at least one client, violating established regulations prior to the May session.
“From at least November 22, 2024, to March 13, 2025, respondent did not require clients to purchase and take possession of secondary doses before the administration session begins,” Ourso explained, citing the violation of OAR 333-333-5240(3)(b).
Following a notice of violation issued to Eckert and InnerTrek on June 9, which outlined the fine and offered a hearing if requested within 20 days, the OHA reported that they did not pursue a hearing.
In response to the fine, Nate Howard, director of operations for InnerTrek, expressed a commitment to accountability, stating, “We accept this and take accountability for it because despite best attempts to follow the remarkable amount of rules we’re subject to, mistakes happen, and the OHA, I think, is doing a great job overall.”
This fine arrives at a particularly precarious moment for Oregon’s psilocybin program, which has encountered financial difficulties.
The fees collected by the state have not been sufficient to cover the program’s expenses as originally promised by Measure 109, leading to taxpayers filling the gap with a $3.1 million infusion in the last biennium that ended June 30.
Moreover, the high fees—$10,000 annually—and expensive compliance measures have sparked concerns among service centers like InnerTrek, as many individuals are opting for underground facilitators who lead sessions in private settings rather than adhering to legal protocols.
The stringent enforcement actions by the OHA reflect the government’s serious approach to overseeing a program still classified federally as involving a dangerous drug.
Eckert’s career in the psilocybin field has been marked by controversy. After advocating for Measure 109, he became the chair of the Psilocybin Advisory Board established by the measure, but he resigned under contentious circumstances in March 2022.
Although the board voted unanimously for members to declare any personal or financial conflicts of interest shortly before his resignation, he abruptly stepped down without providing specific reasons.
Internal communications later revealed tensions within the board regarding Eckert’s leadership and alleged conflicts of interest relating to his relationship with Aiden, who was the CEO of the Synthesis Institute at the time.
The Oregon psilocybin program initially aimed to provide safe environments for legal psychedelic use, with InnerTrek starting as a training initiative for facilitators before opening a service center in 2023 located in the colorful Fair-Haired Dumbbell building.
Despite the latest challenges, Howard maintains a positive perspective on the regulatory process.
“This is all part of a regulatory agency, who we consider to be a great partner to this work and movement, working to ensure high standards of care are met,” Howard remarked.
He suggested that this incident would ultimately drive operators like InnerTrek to strengthen their compliance and adherence to regulations, which is crucial for the integrity of the emerging industry.
image source from：wweek
