Denver has become the first U. S. city to decriminalize magic mushrooms, leading one anti-drug campaigner to dub it the “illicit drug capital of…
Denver has become the first U. S. city to decriminalize magic mushrooms, leading one anti-drug campaigner to dub it the “illicit drug capital of the world.”
Initiative 301 passed by a close 50.56 percent on Tuesday, according to the Denver Elections Division. A total of 89,320 Denverites voted “yes” to decriminalize the psychoactive drug, while 87,341 voted “no,” with a margin of 1,979.
The results will remain unofficial until May 16, the Denver Elections Division stated. Ballots from the military and overseas will also still be accepted, however those are unlikely to tip the balance, The Denver Postreported.
The initiative document states that the possession of psychoactive psilocybin mushrooms for those aged 21 and over will become the city’s “lowest law-enforcement priority.”
The campaign cited studies published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Psychopharmacology to argue the substance has benefits, including lowering the risk of opioid abuse and dependence.
