Psilocybin Could Open the Door to Legal Hallucinogens
Researchers are hoping the decriminalization vote in Denver could usher in a new era of therapeutic and recreational use
Earlier this month, the people of Denver narrowly voted to decriminalize magic mushrooms. Initiative 301 does not technically legalize the psilocybin-based hallucinogens but “deprioritizes” them, which means police won’t arrest or prosecute anyone found with them. The result is significant not because it will free up police time — only 90 people in Denver were arrested for possession of magic mushrooms between 2016 and 2018 — but for what it says about progressive attitudes toward therapeutic and recreational use of drugs.
In 2018, activists in Oakland secured a city council sponsor to try to decriminalize a range of psychedelics, including mushrooms, LSD, peyote, and ayahuasca. They came close to placing a resolution on the ballot, and plan to try again in 2020. In Iowa, Republican Representative Jeff Shipley has introduced a series of bills to decriminalize the use of psychedelics for medical uses, such as for the treatment of war veterans scarred by PTSD. And in Canada, a team of medical doctors, registered nurses, and licensed psychotherapists have applied to the national government for permission to use psilocybin for the…
