Colorado Legalizes Psilocybin Statewide

Psychedelics are experiencing breakthroughs unlike anything humanity has seen since discovering them. In Colorado, mushrooms, specifically psilocybin and psilocin, are legal as of November 2022. 

The new measure opens doors for citizens who want to use these substances for medicinal or recreational purposes. Some regulations exist, but the exciting landmark achievement could spark further acceptance of alternative treatments.

What do these new Colorado laws stipulate, and how do they affect the future of personal and professional healing? We explore the history, progress, and potential outcomes of worldwide shroom legislation. Let’s dive in.

A Brief History of Psilocybin Laws

Psilocybin laws have been a controversial topic for many years. Like with marijuana, this psychedelic compound stirs divided opinions worldwide. In places like Colorado, mushrooms have experienced a tumultuous history.

Natural hallucinogens were sacred to some cultures and indigenous tribes for millennia before entering western society. The first people to discover magic mushrooms used them primarily for religious ceremonies and rituals.

In the 1950s, they started gaining widespread attention, and many started questioning their potential therapeutic properties. Several scientists initiated research on them and started to understand more about their psychedelic attributes.

In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act banned several substances, including psilocybin. It seemed like all hope of progress was lost as the law halted clinical research on psychedelics. Underground analyses continued, and the first legal study occurred again in 1997.

Since then, many people, including Colorado mushroom supporters, have wanted scientists to do further research on psychoactive fungi. The 21st century has included more studies on psilocybin, resulting in several legal breakthroughs.

Some areas in the U.S. have decriminalized the psychoactive compound, including Santa Cruz, Denver, Oakland, Washington, D.C., and California. In November 2020, Oregon Measure 109 and Measure 110 resulted in the first steps toward legalizing the medicinal use of the substance. 

The approval of the ballots means that possession of the psychoactive substance is no longer a criminal charge if below 12 grams. Stipulations state that, by 2023, Oregon could license service centers to sell the substance to adults over 21 legally. 

Other jurisdictions are planning to follow suit, and some have already proposed bills for making mushrooms lawful. Could we see more breakthroughs soon? They’re already happening in places like Colorado. Let’s explore the state’s legislative history.

What Are the Mushroom Laws in Colorado?

Colorado mushroom laws have been at the forefront of the 21st-century psychedelic revolutions. The state is home to the first city in the U.S. that decriminalized the fungi in May 2019: Denver. 

Initiated Ordinance 301 stipulated that personal use and possession of shrooms would no longer incur criminal penalties. It applied to people over 21 and introduced a Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel to assess the results.

In the rest of Colorado, the possession, use, and sale of magic mushrooms remained illegal. Advocates for the psychoactive compound didn’t let this stop them from rallying support for new legislation in the entire state. 

In 2022, Citizens for Natural Medicine and Natural Medicine Colorado backed a new initiative in the state. Proposition 122 went into effect in November, legalizing psilocybin use statewide. It plans to implement a similar regulated system like the one in Oregon.

The framework builds upon using Colorado mushrooms for use in assisted therapy services. The government hasn’t approved these yet, as the new law allows the state to analyze the progress and outcomes.

Proposition 122 outlines that, by 2024, there’ll be regulations across the state. This time allows Colorado facilities and therapists to research and implement moderated treatment sessions.

If the bill is successful, it could be a massive achievement for treating mental health disorders. Studies on psilocybin-assisted therapy have shown that the substance may help mitigate the following:

• Anxiety and depression
• Mood disorders
• Substance abuse and withdrawals
• Psychological distress, mainly due to terminal diagnoses
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Tiredness and lethargy
• Pain
• Schizophrenia

Psilocybin is a Schedule I drug in most places. The classification is due to concerns over its psychoactive properties and potential for abuse. As further evidence of its therapeutic properties come out of the shadows, more people are embracing it as an alternative treatment.

How Did Magic Mushrooms Become Legal in Colorado?

What does the road to legalizing Colorado mushrooms look like? The state has been one of the pioneers in decriminalizing marijuana and making it lawful. Now, it’s following suit with other potentially healing substances. 

After the 2019 laws decriminalized psilocybin use and possession, there was piqued interest in the substance. As Proposition 122 gained attention, millions of people placed their votes, but it was almost a loss.

Out of 2,418,088 votes for the initiative, 1,296,974 were positive. It wasn’t a landslide victory, but it was a joyful one. Almost 54% of the voters celebrated because they no longer needed to fear the legal ramifications of using natural healing medicine.

Veronica Perez and Kevin Matthews, the co-proponents who filed Proposition 122 on February 4th, 2022, were ecstatic about the results.

After voters saw the benefit of regulated access to natural medicines like psilocybin, Perez and Matthews commented that it was a truly historic moment for healing.

Colorado mushrooms are now legal, but scientists and psychological professionals advise that people should use them under supervision. They may affect individuals differently, so precautions are always necessary, and self-awareness is vital. 

These new laws could usher in a future where people can choose their mental health treatments. As the framework for the new Colorado law unfolds, citizens will be able to check in to licensed healing centers.

Trained therapists or facilitators will guide them and provide psilocybin-assisted treatment for adults 21 and older. If the outcomes of this law are positive, they could lead to further relaxed rules and more approved substances. 

A Psychedelic Revolution

More places might follow now that U.S. states Oregon and Colorado have made mushrooms legal. They’re already lawful in other parts of the world, like Jamaica, the Netherlands, and Brazil. More places have decriminalized them, and psychedelic research is booming.

Colorado psychonauts are rejoicing like never before. The use of some psychoactive substances is becoming less of a stigma. Psychiatric fields are undergoing massive changes, and the world is moving toward a fascinating future. 

The psychedelic revolution isn’t coming; it’s already here. Check out our Fungushead blog for more insight into the weird and wonderful world of mushrooms and their history.

All of the content and images on our site are for informational reference only. The cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms is federally illegal in the United States. We do not promote the cultivation of psilocybin “magic” mushrooms under any circumstances. Do not contact us asking for advice related to this subject. Any products found on this site are for microscopy and taxonomy purposes only. None of the psilocybin mushroom spores we offer are for consumption or cultivation. We do not sell any products containing psilocybin.