What’s happening at Portland’s psychedelic treatment centers?

Spiking Price Tag for Water Treatment Plant

A Portland water treatment plant under construction will now cost $2.13 billion — which is four times the amount approved for the project in 2017 and $300 million more than last June's update. There have been delays to the project as construction costs across the country have spiked. City officials say the high cost won’t lead to higher rates for customers, in part because of low-rate federal loans. But critics say that assertion is “ludicrous.” [Oregonian 🔒]

Lake Oswego Fighting Off Public Lake Access

You can’t go to the lake in Lake Oswego if you don’t live there. And even if you live there, access is mostly limited to the people who own expensive homes right nearby. But a court challenge has established that even Oswego Lake is subject to state rules for public access. The next phase of the ongoing legal fight will assess whether nonresidents can actually start visiting after more than a decade of a prohibition on that. [OPB]

Leading Portland Congressional Candidates on Gaza

The leading candidates competing in the Democratic primary to replace U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer answered questions from the Willamette Week editorial board on what advice they’d give President Biden on Gaza. Former Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal called for “a sustainable, humanitarian cease-fire,” including potentially ending “unconditional” support. State Rep. Maxine Dexter called for “a negotiated cease-fire.” [Willamette Week]

The Treatment at Portland Psilocybin Treatment Centers

In 2020, Oregon was the first state in the U.S. to pass a law legalizing psilocybin use at treatment centers. But what does that treatment actually look like? Courtney Campbell, founder of the treatment center Chariot, explains. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

What Goes On Inside a Portland Psilocybin Treatment Center?

In 2020, Oregon was the first state in the U.S. to pass a law legalizing psilocybin use at treatment centers. There are now nearly 300 Oregonians licensed to facilitate this new treatment, and by last year, more than 700 people had already gone through treatment. But what does therapy look like? How much does it cost? And is it really worth it? Courtney Campbell (founder of Chariot, a Portland-based psilocybin service center) explains.