Denver pursues further decriminalization of magic mushrooms

• The Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel is made up of advocates, city officials and members of law enforcement.

Why it matters: Ongoing research shows that psilocybin could help treat certain medical conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and addiction.

• But dabbling in the science remains limited due to the federal government’s classification of psilocybin as a Schedule I drug "with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse."

There are two main elements to the panel’s preliminary recommendations:

• Decriminalizing the sharing and gifting of magic mushrooms.
• Decriminalizing the use of ‘shrooms in group, medicinal and therapeutic settings.

Of note: The panel also will recommend that the council sign off on a co-branded public-awareness campaign encouraging responsible mushroom use, as well as green light a training program for first responders on psilocybin harm-reduction techniques.

• "Denver is going to be the first city in the country to have first responders fully trained on psychedelic harm reduction, which reduces risk both for officers ... and folks that officers contact," Matthews said.

The big picture: Since the city made history as the first in the country to decriminalize magic mushrooms, fears about widespread abuse of the psychedelic drug have yet to materialize, propelling proponents to push the psilocybin agenda even further.

This story first appeared in the Axios Denver newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard.

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