Psychedelic drugs remain federally illegal in most cities, whether fungus-based, plant, or synthetic. However, this is going to most likely change for Colorado, a pioneer for recreational cannabis.

During the midterm elections yesterday, Colorado passed Proposition 122, which was on the ballot after advocates collected over 100K signatures more than the required to decriminalize psychedelic drugs like mescaline, better known as “magic mushroom.” As of Wednesday morning, the vote was almost a 50/50 split, with the approval of the proposition most likely to succeed. 

The fight for the decriminalization of psychedelics came hardly a decade after Colorado legalized recreational marijuana. With the legalization or marijuana, the city has witnessed the growth of a retail marijuana industry, with many dispensaries opening up in the state.

Proponents of the proposition argue that putting people in jail for using naturally occurring substances costs taxpayers money. They believe that Colorado’s approach to treating mental illness has been unsuccessful, and that naturally occurring substances that have existed on the planet for a long time can help treat addiction, depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.

Lopez, a user and supporter of legal psychedelics, said that when he is on psychedelics like mushrooms, it opens his eyes, and he feels the world’s beauty and appreciates what the world has to offer. “When I’m on mushrooms, all the anger, frustration, and upset dissolves. It just melts away,” he added. It is worth noting that Lopez was one of the lobbyists for legalizing recreational marijuana in Colorado.

Critics of the ballot initiative say that the Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of psychedelics as medicine, and that allowing them to be used freely could harm public safety and send the wrong message to minors. 

“I will only take medical advice from scientists and doctors over business people any day of the week,” claimed Luke Niforatos, the head of the ballot committee. “We should listen to FDA, Psychiatric Association, and our doctors. We should not listen to people with profit incentives in mind,” he added.

Niforatos said that the same business people who fought for the legalization of recreational marijuana are the people behind the latest push for psychedelics. “They are using the drug legalization playbook to create a commercial market that could lead to creation of dispensaries for illegal and dangerous substances.”

The psychedelics that will be decriminalized will be categorized as Schedule 1 controlled substances under federal and state law. They will be considered  substances that are not accepted for medical use and are potentially addictive and prone to abuse.

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, psilocybin may help with depression in some patients. 

The final tally remains to be seen, but it looks like the “yes” votes will prevail.