Psilocybin Decriminalization in the United States

In November 2020, on Election Day, 76 percent of voters in Washington, D.C., voted in favor of the initiative. A UC Berkeley Psychedelics Survey revealed in July 2023 instructed that 61% of registered voters in the U.S. It also urged that just about half (49%) of registered voters in the U.S. Brown, Jennifer (2022-11-10). “Colorado Becomes Second State to Legalize “Magic Mushrooms””. Whalen, Andrew (July 3, 2019). “Magic Mushrooms Guide: Where Shrooms Are Legal and How to Take Psilocybin”. Esther Hoing (May 9, 2020). “In Close Vote, Denver Becomes 1st U.S. City to Decriminalize Psychedelic Mushrooms”. Pollan, Michael (May 10, 2019). “Not So Fast on Psychedelic Mushrooms”. The brand new York Times. Massey, Barry (15 June 2015). “Court: Growing Hallucinogenic Mushrooms Not Illegal in N.M.” Albuquerque Journal. Williams, Brett. “Mind the Magic Shrooms”. Troy Farah (February 7, 2019). “Contained in the Push to Legalize Magic Mushrooms for Depression and PTSD”. Harmeet Kaur (February 3, 2020). “Santa Cruz Decriminalizes Magic Mushrooms and Other Natural Psychedelics, Making It the Third US City to Take Such a Step”.

In January 2019, the Oregon Psilocybin Society and research firm DHM Research discovered that 47 % of Oregon voters supported the legalization of medical psilocybin, while forty six p.c opposed it. The proportion of voters in favor increased to 64 p.c after key elements of the ballot have been clarified to the poll’s participants. In November 2020, a ballot measure to legalize medical psilocybin handed with 55.8% of voters in favor. An October 2019 online poll carried out by analysis firm Green Horizons found that 38 % of U.S. Based on a survey in Washington, D.C., executed initially of September 2020, voters support the initiative to decriminalize psychedelic plants and purchase ayahuasca fungi. The variety of voters in favor increased by nine proportion points since April 2020. A key issue, respondents reported, is that they’ve discovered more concerning the laws in question. While 60 % of members mentioned they would vote “yes” for Initiative 81, 24 % mentioned they planned to vote “no,” and sixteen percent remained undecided.

Dom Amato (January 23, 2020). “Should Vermont decriminalize some hallucinogenic medication?”. Kyle Jaeger (January 22, 2020). “New Vermont Bill Would Decriminalize Psychedelics And Kratom”. Kyle Jaeger (May 26, 2020). “Psilocybin Treatment And Drug Decrim Campaigns Submit Signatures To Qualify For Oregon Ballot”. Newsfile Corp (May 5, 2020). “This is why Lawmakers are Pushing to Decriminalize Psychedelic Mushrooms”. Jaeger, Kyle (2022-12-30). “New York Lawmakers File Psychedelics Legalization Bill For 2023”. Marijuana Moment. Amanda Hoover | NJ Advance Media For NJ. 2020-11-16). “Marijuana decriminalization stalls in N.J. Assembly after lawmakers add magic mushrooms to the invoice. Senate strikes ahead”. Adlin, Ben (2020-11-11). “California Could Decriminalize Psychedelics Under New State And local Proposals”. Ho, Vivian (2020-11-20). “‘The conflict on medication failed’: California lawmaker will push to decriminalize psychedelics”. Lozano, Alicia Victoria (2021-02-18). “New California invoice would decriminalize psychedelics, expunge criminal data”. Jaeger, Kyle (2021-04-14). “California Bill To Legalize Possession Of Psychedelics Clears Second Senate Committee”. Jaeger, Kyle (2021-05-20). “California Bill To Legalize Possession Of Psychedelics Heads To Senate Floor After Committee Action”.

On July 11, 2023, Berkeley, California, became the fifth metropolis in California to decriminalize entheogenic plants and fungi. On July 23, 2023, Minneapolis, Minnesota, decriminalized entheogenic plants and fungi via mayoral government order. On October 3, 2023, the town Council in Portland, Maine, has voted to deprioritize the local enforcement of legal guidelines towards psychedelic plants and fungi. In October 2023, ‘Massachusetts for Mental Health Options’ received approval from the state attorney basic to pursue a ballot initiative for the 2024 elections. This initiative seeks to legalize psychedelics, together with home cultivation of entheogenic plants and fungi, in Massachusetts. On August 13, 2024, town Council in Olympia, Washington, decriminalized plant-primarily based hallucinogens, including psilocybin mushrooms. On January 28, 2025, the city Council in Tacoma, Washington, decriminalized pure psychedelics containing tryptamines, phenethylamines, and indolamines. On May 26, 2020, Oregon state initiatives to legalize supported or supervised grownup use of psilocybin (Measure 109) and likewise decriminalize it (Measure 110) certified to seem on the ballot in November.

The movement to decriminalize psilocybin in the United States started in 2019 with Denver, Colorado, turning into the first city to decriminalize psilocybin in May of that 12 months. The cities of Oakland and Santa Cruz, California, decriminalized psilocybin in June 2019 and January 2020, respectively. Washington, D.C., adopted soon in November 2020, as did Somerville, Massachusetts, in January 2021, after which the neighboring Cambridge and Northampton in February 2021 and March 2021, respectively. Seattle, Washington, became the largest U.S. Oregon voters passed a 2020 ballot measure making it the primary state to each decriminalize psilocybin and also legalize its supervised use. The use, sale, and possession of psilocybin in the United States is against the law under federal legislation. Psilocybin is a psychedelic drug produced naturally by psilocybin mushrooms, generally referred to as “magic mushrooms”. The drug was banned by the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. In the 2005 case of State of recent Mexico vs David Ray Pratt, New Mexico’s Court of Appeals found that if one grows psilocybin mushrooms for personal use, it’s not thought-about “manufacturing of a managed substance” beneath state legislation.