At Tuesday night's Fort Morgan City Council Meeting, Chuck Marting, owner of Colorado Mobile Drug Testing in Fort Morgan, spoke to the Council, sharing his insights and experiences about Psilocybin mushrooms. With a 19-year career in law enforcement, including time with the Morgan County Sheriff's Department, Chuck and his wife Stacy own two offices, one in Fort Morgan and Denver.
Marting discussed the implications of the psychedelic industry on workplaces, beginning with an incident where he received a phone call about an employee, under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms, who was found hallucinating and hiding under a conveyor belt. Marting discovered that the employee had been microdosing on the advice of a psychiatrist but felt that he wasn't getting enough, so he began growing and consuming larger doses,
Marting said the experimental nature of psychedelic therapy is insufficient and, "Psychedelic therapy scares me more than marijuana does because of the unpredictability." He pointed out issues, including hallucinations, that require attention and discussed the challenges employers face in testing for psilocybin due to the lack of available tests at the time.
As a board member of the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association, Marting has worked with various labs and medical review officers to find solutions for workplace safety. He said that six months ago, Colorado Mobile Drug Testing became one of the first companies in the nation to offer a rapid screening test for psilocybin. The test can indicate a presumptive positive result within two to three minutes, though further laboratory analysis is needed to determine the exact amount in the system.
Marting explained that drug tests reveal the presence of drugs, not impairment. If drugs are detected violating workplace policy, the employee may face disciplinary action. Law enforcement may be called in if the individual poses a danger, such as attempting to drive or using heavy equipment under the influence. He also addressed the mental health concerns associated with psychedelic use, particularly for people living with PTSD.
He detailed three types of flashbacks that occur after taking mushrooms: emotional, somatic, and perceptual. Emotional flashbacks, the most dangerous, cause individuals to feel threatened. Somatic flashbacks involve altered body sensations like dizziness or the sensation of crawling skin, while perceptual flashbacks cause individuals to see or hear things that aren't there. Marting said, "These flashbacks can occur at any time and be extremely vivid and real, posing significant workplace concerns."
Marting spoke about another incident where an employee, under the influence of psilocybin and marijuana, attempted to drive a forklift through a wall. He said there is a need for effective drug testing and mental health support in the workplace because even a single exposure can result in lifelong flashbacks, which are particularly risky for professions like law enforcement, healthcare, and aviation.
In a follow-up interview with the Morgan County Times, Marting says he has concerns about the unpredictable nature of psychedelic therapy, fearing it might follow marijuana's path, leading to increased recreational use and workplace incidents. He shared examples, including a pilot who attempted to crash a plane after taking psilocybin mushrooms and musician Darius Rucker's DUI incident involving psilocybin mushrooms being found in his car.
Colorado Mobile Drug Testing offers employers policy reviews, implementation assistance, drug testing, and training for supervisors and employees. "We can teach what different types of services are available and how to recognize and understand drug use," said Marting.
Colorado Mobile Drug Testing is located at 411 W Platte Ave, Unit B, in Fort Morgan, phone: (970) 370-2890. You can visit their website to learn more about the services offered at https://coloradomobiledrugtesting.com/.