By Nick Hagan
They may be psychedelic, but this is no psyche out; Colorado is proposing to legalize more drugs.
On the ballot this November is Proposition 122: Access to Natural Psychedelic Substances which, if passed, would create the Natural Medicines Health Act in the state of Colorado.
The NMHA would legalize the use of psilocybin and psilocin (“magic mushrooms'') for medical and rehabilitative purposes and decriminalize their personal use and possession for adults over 21.
Patients would be allowed to ingest prescriptive amounts of psilocybin administered by medical professionals in state-regulated facilities to help treat conditions such as PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), MDD (Major-Depressive Disorder), GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and addiction.
Adults over 21 would be allowed to cultivate, possess, use, and gift psychedelic mushrooms within the state but would not be allowed to sell them commercially or buy them over the counter.
The NMHA would also immediately decriminalize dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ibogaine and mescaline (excluding peyote) for personal use and possession while also allowing for the possibility of a legal-access framework to be presented in the future.
Proponents of Proposition 122 point to research conducted by major institutions such as John Hopkins University and New York University that suggest psychedelic treatments are safe and effective.
They argue that patients should be allowed access to natural medicines, especially in cases in which traditional treatments have been ineffective.
Combat veterans and terminally ill patients have historically been among the supporters of the legalization of psychedelics for medical use.
Opponents of Proposition 122 cite the current Schedule I status of the drugs slated for approval.
Schedule I drugs, as defined by the Controlled Substances Act passed in 1970, have “no current accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” Concerns about Colorado becoming a “drug destination” have also been raised.
Some opponents have also pointed to the legalization of cannabis in Colorado as a driver of gentrification and classism within the state of Colorado.
For more information about Proposition 122 and other ballot issues in the state of Colorado, please visit: