Psychedelic Spotlight
  • News
  • Culture
  • Business
    • Business
    • News
    • Editorial
    • Stock Reports
    • Videos
    • Interviews
  • Research
  • Policy
  • Media
    • Podcast
    • Videos
  • Work With us
    • Work With Us
    • Contact Us
    • About
  • Media Kit
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Home1 / Psychedelic Spotlight News2 / Culture3

Colorado to Legalize Psychedelics?

byJames HallifaxonJuly 1, 2022
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn

A Colorado initiative gives voters the power to legalize psychedelics and psilocybin therapy this November

It’s (almost) official! This November, American citizens living in Colorado will vote on whether their state should legalize psychedelics for both personal use and for psilocybin-assisted therapy centers.

On Monday, activists from the Natural Medicine Colorado campaign presented 222,648 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office, significantly more than the 124,632 valid signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. Under Colorado law, activists who collect signatures representing at least 5% of the total votes cast in the previous Secretary of State election, will see their initiative voted on by the general public in the next election. This is slated to happen on November 8th, 2022.

Related Posts

New ESPN Documentary, “Psychedelics & a Road to Recovery” to Explore Psychedelics For Traumatic Brain Injuries

Toronto’s 3rd Mushroom Dispensary Just Opened; They Say They Are Here to “Improve Lives”

The Biggest Psychedelic News Stories This Week – March 17

‘Right To Try Laws' and Legal Access to Psilocybin Therapy with Dr. Jonathan Fields

Colorado’s Secretary of State still needs to verify the signatures before the Natural Medicine Health Act Initiative is officially added to the ballot, but as the campaign acquired almost double the needed signatures, this is almost certainly a formality. Barring major unforeseen events, Colorado residents WILL get the chance to vote for themselves whether they want to see a liberalized legal framework for psychedelics.

The ballot initiative, if passed, has two key pillars: it would legalize psychedelics for personal use, and legalize psilocybin “healing centers” in which an adult can receive psilocybin-assisted therapy.

Starting with the legalization for personal use, if the ballot initiative is passed, “possessing, storing, using, processing, transporting, purchasing, obtaining, or ingesting” natural psychedelics such as psilocybin, ibogaine, mescaline (as long as it’s not derived from peyote), DMT and psilocin will not be “an offense under state law or the laws of any locality within the state.”

Importantly, there is no provision in the law that provides for the sale of psychedelics. This means selling the above substances would still be illegal, though buying them would not. Furthermore, the bill only applies to “natural” medicines, so synthetic psychedelics such as LSD would not be legalized.

Despite the above limitations, this legalization would be a huge step towards ending the War on Drugs, at least in the state of Colorado. Plus, individuals who had previously served a jail term for an offense that is becoming legal will be able to petition the courts to have their records sealed. Unless the District Attorney objects, the court will automatically clear that record.

Moving on to the legalization of the psilocybin “healing centers,” if the measure is passed by the general public, adults 21 years of age and older will be able to attend a licensed healing center where they will be given psilocybin-assisted therapy by a trained facilitator. Importantly, individuals receiving this treatment will not need to have been diagnosed with a mental health condition to receive treatment. Anyone who is of age will be able to access this treatment —or at least anyone who can afford it. It is likely to be quite expensive.

If Colorado voters approve this measure, they will be following the lead of Oregon, which passed a similar ballot initiative legalizing psilocybin healing centers in 2020. The first healing centers in that state are expected to open by the end of 2023.

Even if the Natural Medicine Health Act Initiative is passed in November, however, Colorado residents won’t be able to visit a psilocybin center any time soon. Once the initiative is passed, the state has until September 30th, 2024, to formulate and adopt all of the rules necessary. This means we may see the first couple of healing centers popping up at the tail end of 2024, with them beginning to scale in 2025.

The ballot initiative also allows for regulators to expand the medicines offered in the healing centers after June 1st, 2026. After seeing the effectiveness of psilocybin treatment, the Natural Medicine Advisory Board —which would be set up if this referendum passes— can add DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline (as long as it is not derived from peyote) to the list of medicines to be offered at the healing centers.

If you live in Colorado and wish to legalize psychedelics and see the Natural Medicine Health Act Initiative become law, make sure you vote on November 8th, 2022.

 

Have you heard about our new community?

We’re excited to announce Bonfire -
a personal growth community
for people who are interested in psychedelics.

Join us for our launch event on July 18th, where we’ll share about the work we’ll be doing together to actualize our personal missions, grow, and heal together.

Sign Up Here
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related News

How Mind Medicine Australia is Tackling Australia’s Mental Health Crisis with Psychedelics

How Mind Medicine Australia Is Tackling Deadly Mental Health Crisis with Psychedelics

Treatment
Charity co-founder Tania de Jong says Covid-19 pandemic has led to "a huge spike in mental health issues including, very sadly, suicides," and she believes psychedelics are a solution.
0 Comments
/
September 16, 2021
Suing the City of Oakland for Mushroom Raid with Dave Hodges

Suing the City of Oakland for Mushroom Raid with Dave Hodges

Podcasts
In this episode, Dave speaks to Dennis Walker about how Oakland PD raided his church and confiscated $200,000 worth of sacraments.
0 Comments
/
February 9, 2023
TRIPP Wants You to 'Be Here Now,' With or Without Ram DassLove Serve Remember Foundation / TRIPP

TRIPP Wants You to ‘Be Here Now,’ With or Without Ram Dass

Business
Psychedelic Spotlight trips with Ram Dass at the 50th anniversary celebration of the spiritual teacher's iconic book.
0 Comments
/
November 2, 2021

Psychedelic Spotlight is your reliable source for the latest stories in the emerging psychedelics industry, covering breakthrough discoveries, investor news and cultural reform.

Explore

  • About
  • Treatment
  • Work With Us
  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Resources

  • Conferences
  • Experts
  • Glossary
  • Therapy

Subscribe

           

© 2022 Psychedelic Spotlight. | Owned and operated by PSYC Media Corporation, Inc. a US publicly traded company (OTCPink: PSYC) | All Rights Reserved.
Wiz Khalifa Teams Up With Red Light Holland for Boutique Mushroom BrandMindMed Reassures Investors over Nasdaq Delisting Fears
Scroll to top

Get a roundup of Psychedelic news stories in your inbox

By signing up to the Psychedelic Spotlight newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from Psychedelic Spotlight that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content.

Which list would you like to subscribe to?(Required)