Hallucinogenic mushrooms win support from Denver voters

The local ballot measure did not quite legalize the mushrooms that contain psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound. State and federal regulations would have to change to accomplish that.

But the measure made the possession, use or cultivation of the mushrooms by people aged 21 or older the lowest-priority crime for law enforcement in the city of Denver and Denver County. Arrests and prosecutions, already fairly rare, would all but disappear.

Results posted by the city as a “final unofficial” tally late Wednesday showed the “Yes” vote won by less than 2,000 ballots. The “No” vote had led throughout the day, until the last updated count by elections officials. Alton P. Dillard, the elections spokesman, said the passage appeared safe, but the final results would not be certified until May 16.

Proponents of more lenient criminal enforcement of psilocybin cite studies indicating that the mind-altering drug — outlawed nationally for nearly 50 years — can be beneficial for treating depression and anxiety among cancer patients. Other studies have identified potential uses in therapy for alcoholics and people trying to quit smoking.

“Because psilocybin has such tremendous medical potential, there’s no reason individuals should be criminalized for using something that grows naturally,” said Kevin Matthews, the director of the pro-mushrooms campaign.

Dr. Matthew Johnson, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, was one of the authors of a study last year recommending that the Food and Drug Administration reclassify the drug to acknowledge its potential medical uses and relatively low potential for abuse.

Psilocybin is not addictive, and “there’s no direct lethal overdose” of the drug on record, Johnson said.

The ballot measure, Initiated Ordinance 301, would also establish a panel to review the law’s impact on public health and safety.

Arrests in Denver for incidents involving psilocybin have not numbered more than 59 in any of the last three years, and only 11 cases were prosecuted in that time.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.