Denver residents will vote on decriminalizing psychedelic mushrooms
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DENVER, Colo. (KDVR) - Denver residents will be voting on whether or not to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms.
The Denver Elections Division announced they received a petition with the required number of signatures to place on the May 7 municipal election ballot. The decriminalization petition received 8,524 signatures, 5,559 of which were deemed valid, reports KDVR. The initiative required at least 5 percent of the number of votes cast in the previous mayoral election, which would be 4,726 signatures.
The initiative would make personal use, possession and propagation for adults 21 and older the “city’s lowest law enforcement priority.” It would also prevent the city from spending resources to impose criminal penalties for possession of mushrooms.
“This is a real opportunity for Denver to be leader when it comes to drug policy and to create an environment where individuals feel like they have a safety net to speak about their personal use,” explained Kevin Matthews, campaign manager for “Decriminalize Denver.”
The initiative will also establish a policy review panel to “assess and report on the effects of the ordinance,” reports KDVR.
Psychedelic mushrooms are classified as an illegal drug by the federal government, but so is marijuana, which Colorado legalized at the state level in 2014.