Here Come the Psychedelics - Denver Decriminalizes Magic Mushrooms

Here comes Psychedelics, Denver Decriminalizes Magic Mushrooms

magic mushrooms in Denver

A few years ago I wrote on the idea that Cannabis will be the catalyst to legalize psychedelics. Not to say “I told you so, but…I told you so!” Denver recently voted to decriminalize magic mushrooms. Technically, they decriminalized the possession of psilocybin, yet another Schedule I “drug”. So on that, congratulations to Denver.

But why is this important? Who cares if shrooms are legal anyway? Well, plenty of people care. Let’s take a look at who these folks might be for the upcoming debate in the next few years.

Meet the Players

As with legal cannabis, you’ll have a two main groups on the debate. Those in favor of legalizing psilocybin and those opposed. These groups then would be broken down even further into “motivational categories”. In other words, “Why” they are for or against the idea.

Let’s take a look.

Concerned Parents (Against)

The idea of “family” is near sacred in the value system of the US. While this is true in an ideological sense, in practice the family-unit in the country has changed quite drastically. The traditional model has long been more “flued” with single-parent families, cross-cultural families and so forth.

Nonetheless, the “idea” of the “wholesome” family still continues to be the dominating narrative. Thus, you’ll definitely have several parents groups speaking out against the legalization of psilocybin.

Freedom Activists (In Favor)

Being a drug activist sounds like someone who wants to legalize drugs to get high. However, the essence of legalizing all drugs is based on the idea of “sovereignty” over your own mind and body. Within a free society, you should have ultimate power over what you do with your body and mind. Drug laws essentially infringe on your right to alter your state of consciousness with external substances.

If you’re an adult that can vote, bear arms and drive a car, you should also have the right to choose what you put into your mouth. The mere existence of these laws, directly violates your freedom. Folks who subscribe to this position will be wholeheartedly in favor of this initiative.

It's important to note, accessibility doesn’t mean unsafe. Buying in the black market lacks oversight, quality standards, purity checks and is far more dangerous than a well-regulated legal market.

Anti-Drug Industry (Against)

Here we’ve got the rehab centers, politically motivated lobbies that benefit from prohibition. They receive funds from the government and large donations to lobby in favor of “strict drug laws”. These are the folks that like to see people in prison or rehab for exercising their freedoms. They are mostly in it for the money and would be against the initiative completely. Quite frankly, Sabet will probably be there vomiting his nonsense as well.

Medical Activists (In Favor)

Medical activists are going to be the driving force behind the legalization movement. It will start with decriminalization, then home cultivation and eventually will become “legal” for medical use. After a year or two of medical use, it would naturally translate to the wider market space.

Medical activists would include people suffering from depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, neurological disorders and perhaps more we don’t even know of yet. These people will begin to show results by using psilocybin to manage or even cure (in some cases) their conditions.

In all likeliness, there will be a few clinics where people can use this as an “alternative” holistic approach, which eventually will translate into phenomenal psychological growth within patients. This will become the basis for their argument.

The Federal Government (Against)

Let’s not forget Uncle Sam. Currently old Sam is trying to deal with the fire of cannabis ruining “the way things used to be”. Soon, Sam will be fighting against psychedelic legalization and ultimately a complete re-write of drug laws.

Sam is not a big fan of “mind-altering substances” like psychedelics. He prefers booze, opioids and other stupefacients that keep people in check. Psychedelics typically induces a state where the “idea of governance” becomes a questionable way of living. It challenges authority and inspires self-reflection, something that is desperately needed within society as a whole.

Recreational Users (In Favor)

Finally, recreational users will be completely in favor. Why? Because they already know what psilocybin does. They understand the complexities of psychedelics and understand that this shamanistic approach to life can provide great benefit.

These are people that want to have a legal alternative to drinking, smoking and popping pills. They like to go out to the woods, eat a few caps and enjoy the psychedelic playground overlaying base-reality. These are also the Psychonauts that utilize this for further exploration of the human psyche.

But won’t the world go to shit if everyone is high?

Perhaps, but the likelihood of “everyone being high” at the same time is about as probable as your cat taunting you into an arm wrestling contest. Having something “legal” doesn’t mean that “everybody” is going to take it.

Psychedelics isn’t for everyone. It takes a peculiar mind to use it. Irrespective of whether its legal or not, some people will consume it. Others won’t. Legal would simply mean that these people aren’t breaking the law by merely eating a mushroom that just so happens to induce an altered state of consciousness; that makes you understand that we are all one collective organism that coexist in this thing we call life. And to not take shit so seriously.