Categories: USA

A referendum on Magic Mushroom use

The city of Denver is going to hold a referendum on Magic Mushroom use.

If the referendum goes in favor of magic mushroom, then it would make sure that criminal penalties related to personal use and possession of the drug will stop.

Magic mushrooms have psilocybin which is a psychedelic chemical. According to the US federal law, this chemical belongs to the same group as that of banned drugs like heroin or LSD.

Denver and marijuana go way back as they decriminalized marijuana in 2005 ahead of Colorado state.

The referendum will be going to be held on Tuesday which will be the first public vote related to magic mushroom.

The referendum will be asking the voters if the personal use and possession of the drug should be the city’s lowest law enforcement priority.

If the referendum is in favor of the magic mushrooms, then it would mean that residents of Denver City and County residents over the age of 21 will be able to consume it.

There is one downside of this as federal government have argued that the chemical in the mushrooms, psilocybin and all Schedule I classification drugs have no medical importance and they are high-abuse potential drugs.

However, there are supporters of Magic Mushrooms. One of the group is Decriminalize Denver. They are the people behind the referendum initiative.

They say that mushrooms are helpful in treating cluster headaches, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

A study in 2016 supported these claims of the group. The study said that magic mushrooms are helpful for people dealing with untreatable depression.

Decriminalize Denver argue that the punishment for people consuming the drug is too much. They shouldn’t face the law for consuming such a drug that has potential benefits.

There are many people against this drug. The most important figure is Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.

Shawn Genzone

Senior writer at the Chicago Morning Star

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