The Truth About the Law on Magic Mushrooms in Colorado

There are plenty of misconceptions about what is legal and what isn't in Colorado, so let's clear the air.

The terms legalization and decriminalization are thrown around frequently but do you know what they really mean?

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What is the Difference Between Legalization and Decriminalization?

Colorado legalized the sale of cannabis in 2012 with amendment 64 and became one of the first states in the U.S. to do so.

Since then, Colorado has been leading the way for the legalization and decriminalization of other psychedelics, but oftentimes these two terms are confused.

Legalization completely legalizes the once illegal act, while decriminalization seeks to remove or reduce the criminal classification or status of the act.

Is Psilocybin legal in Colorado?

In May of 2019, Denver made headlines and history across the world when I-301 was passed. The initiative gave voters the chance to decriminalize psilocybin AKA magic mushrooms.

With lots of hard work and dedication from activists, the initiative passed and Denver became the first city to decriminalize magic mushrooms in America.

In order to even get the initiative on the ballot, organizers had to collect approximately 6,000 signatures. While psilocybin was decriminalized in Denver, it has yet to be decriminalized elsewhere in the state.

That being said psilocybin is still illegal in the state of Colorado.

Destigmatizing Psychadelics in Colorado

Slowly but surely, psilocybin is being recognized as a medicine instead of a harmful and scary drug.

In 2018, the FDA granted psychedelic psilocybin therapy "breakthrough therapy” status.

Psilocybin is proven to be beneficial in treating various psychological conditions ranging from depression to PTSD and could help millions of people around the world suffering from treatment-resistant conditions.

The problem is, that there is still a huge stigma when it comes to psychedelics, even here in the state of Colorado.

Learning About the Psychedelic Club in Colorado

A few years ago, I spoke with the Execute Director of the Psychedelic Club, Joey Gallagher. Joey and I spoke in-depth about misconceptions about cannabis and other psychedelics, and about how ending the drug war can become a reality.

Overall, activists have found that the key to destigmatizing psychedelics is through education.
“We’re all about education. We firmly believe social change precedes political change, despite what politicians and lobbyists will tell you,” Joey stated in our interview.

While some may think that the Psychedelic Club is some kind of strange cult, it's actually a non-profit organization. Joey explains:

"We are a 501c3 charity. We’re more like a book club. A lot of people when they hear Psychedelic Club they think we’re taking drugs in a forest, dancing around a fire.”

Jokingly, Joey continues, “We do that in our free time. We don't do that as a club. We host speakers, have psychedelic peer support. It's a community group. We’re trying to rebuild the community that the government and the drug war destroyed.”

You can listen to the full interview below: