Denver Approves Decriminalizing Psilocybin Mushrooms in Unofficial Results, as Public Support for Psychedelic Drug Research Grows

Psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, the psychoactive chemical in “magic mushrooms,” are inching closer to mainstream medical and research use — and unofficial final election results out of Denver suggest at least some Americans are ready to embrace legal measures that could eventually pave the way for that kind of study. A measure on a May 7 Denver ballot appears to have made the Colorado city the first in the nation to effectively decriminalize personal possession and consumption of psilocybin mushrooms, which can cause hallucinations and spiritual or emotional experiences. Though city lawmakers opposed the measure, Denver residents on Tuesday very narrowly voted it in. The measure appeared to be defeated on the night of the ballot. However, by Wednesday night final, though unofficial, results show about 50.6% of voters approved the measure. Though the results are final, Ballotpedia cautions that the results could still change. A similar effort in California stalled before reaching the 2018 ballot, and organizers in Oregon are trying to get a magic mushroom measure on the ballot there in 2020. The results in Denver suggest that voters might be warming to legalizing psychedelic drugs, just as legalization of recreational and medicinal marijuana has become increasingly common. Denver voters’ decision runs counter to some prior research. A 2016 poll from Vox and Morning Consult found that only 22% of surveyed registered voters supported decriminalizing m...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Colorado Drugs onetime Source Type: news