Colorado could become the second state after Oregon to allow the use of certain psychedelic substances that are illegal under federal law.
But while Oregon voters in 2020 approved the supervised use of psychedelic mushrooms, the citizen initiative on the Colorado ballot in November goes further. Proposition 122 would allow the personal use of psilocybin mushrooms and certain plant-based psychedelic substances by adults 21 and over but would ban sales except in licensed “healing centers,” where people could ingest them under the supervision of trained facilitators.
The psychedelic substances, which can alter a person’s perception and cause hallucinations, are Schedule I controlled substances, which is the federal classification given to drugs deemed to have a high potential for abuse and serve no legitimate medical purpose. However, a still-developing body of research has found that psychedelic mushrooms may have health benefits, such as treating depression.
