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Colorado voters will have the chance to decide on a historic ballot initiative this November to legalize psychedelics and create licensed psilocybin \u201chealing centers\u201d where people can use the substance for therapeutic purposes.<\/p>\n
Less than a month after activists turned in signatures for the \u201cNatural Medicine Health Act,\u201d<\/a> the secretary of state\u2019s office on Thursday announced that the campaign had successfully qualified the measure for the ballot.<\/p>\n The Natural Medicine Colorado campaign, which is backed by the national New Approach PAC, had submitted about 100,000 more signatures than required for ballot access, a sizable buffer that was the result of just about three months of petitioning<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re deeply proud of the work that has led to this moment,\u201d Kevin Matthews, one of two designated representatives for the initiative, said in a press release on Thursday. \u201cThese medicines hold such promise for people struggling with PTSD, depression, and other mental health challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs we deal with a growing mental health crisis in our state, we need new tools to help Coloradans heal, and these are research-backed therapies that can work even where other treatments have failed,\u201d Matthews, who also served as campaign manager for a first-of-its-kind local psilocybin decriminalization initiative<\/a> that Denver voters approved in 2019, said.<\/p>\n The measure would legalize possession of certain psychedelics, establish a therapeutic model for supervised psilocybin treatment and provide a pathway for record sealing for prior convictions.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what the Natural Medicine Health Act\u00a0initiative<\/a> would accomplish if approved by voters:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Possession, use, cultivation and sharing of psilocybin, ibogaine, mescaline (not derived from peyote), DMT and psilocyn would be legalized for adults 21 and older, without an explicit possession limit. There would be no recreational sales component.<\/p>\n Under the proposal, the Department of Regulatory Agencies would be responsible for developing rules for a therapeutic psychedelics program where adults 21 and older could visit a licensed healing center to receive treatment under the guidance of a trained facilitator.<\/p>\n There would be a two-tiered regulatory model, where only psilocybin and psilocyn would be permitted for therapeutic use at licensed healing centers until June 2026. After that point, regulators could decide whether to also permit regulated therapeutic use of DMT, ibogaine and mescaline.<\/p>\n The decision to add additional substances to the program would be made by the Department of Regulatory Agencies in consultation with a new 15-member Natural Medicine Advisory Board that includes people who have experience with psychedelic medicine in a scientific and religious context.<\/p>\n People who have completed their sentence for a conviction related to an offense made legal under the act would be able to petition the courts for record sealing. If there\u2019s no objection from the district attorney, the court would need to automatically clear that record.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a separate campaign headed by Decriminalize Nature Colorado, which has taken issue with some of the regulations prescribed in the Natural Medicine Colorado measure,\u00a0filed a competing initiative in January<\/a>. Activists are still in the process of collecting signatures for that measure.<\/p>\n That campaign\u2019s one-page proposal would simply allow adults 21 and older to possess, cultivate, gift and deliver psilocybin, psilocyn, ibogaine, mescaline and DMT.<\/p>\n Further, the initiative says that it would be lawful to conduct psychedelics services for guidance, therapy and harm reduction and spiritual purposes with or without accepting payment. It would not be legal to sell any of the psychedelics, however.<\/p>\n \u2014 For the Natural Medicine Health Act that has now qualified to go before voters, the secretary of state\u2019s office announced<\/a> that the random sampling they conducted of petitions projected that advocates had collected 138,760 valid signatures out of the 225,140 raw submissions that they turned in. They needed 124,632 to qualify.<\/p>\n \u201cMental health struggles are all around us,\u201d Veronica Perez, co-designated representative for the measure, said. \u201cToday we are one step closer to bringing so many people the help they need, one step closer to relief.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Meanwhile, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) was recently asked about the prospects of enacting psychedelics reform in the state, and he acknowledged that advocates are working to accomplish that policy change at the ballot and also said\u00a0he supports the idea of decriminalizing the substances<\/a>.<\/p>\n Last month, Polis signed a bill to align state statute to legalize MDMA prescriptions<\/a>\u00a0if and when the federal government ultimately permits such use.<\/p>\n He also issued an executive order this month to provide broad professional licensing protections<\/a> for workers who use marijuana in compliance with state law. The move further prevents state agencies from assisting in any out-of-state investigations related to lawful cannabis conduct that could result in employment penalties.<\/p>\n With respect of psychedelics, Colorado is far from the only state where reform is advancing.<\/p>\n The leader of the New Jersey Senate filed a bill last month that would legalize the possession, home cultivation and gifting of psilocybin mushrooms<\/a>\u00a0for adults 21 and older\u2014with provisions that give adults even more freedoms for the psychedelic than are afforded under the state\u2019s current marijuana laws.<\/p>\n The governor of Connecticut\u00a0signed a large-scale budget bill<\/a>\u00a0in May that includes provisions to set the state up to provide certain patients with access to psychedelic-assisted treatment using substances like MDMA and psilocybin.<\/p>\n Maryland\u2019s governor recently allowed a bill to go into law without his signature to create a state fund to\u00a0provide \u201ccost-free\u201d access to psychedelics<\/a>\u00a0like psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine for military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury.<\/p>\n A Massachusetts-based campaign, Bay Staters for National Medicine (BSNM), is also\u00a0supporting a statewide reform push<\/a>\u00a0to force state lawmakers to file legislation to both legalize entheogenic substances for therapeutic use and otherwise decriminalize certain psychedelics.<\/p>\n The Maine Senate approved\u00a0a bill in April to to create a medical psilocybin program<\/a>\u00a0in the state, but the House of Representatives refused to go along.<\/p>\n Also that month, Georgia lawmakers advanced a bipartisan resolution that calls for the formation of a House study committee to\u00a0investigate the therapeutic potential of psychedelics<\/a>\u00a0like psilocybin and make recommendations for reforms.<\/p>\n The governor of Utah signed a bill in March to create a task force to study and make recommendations\u00a0on the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs<\/a>\u00a0and possible regulations for their lawful use.<\/p>\n A Missouri House committee also held a hearing that month on a GOP-led bill to\u00a0legalize a wide range of psychedelics for therapeutic use<\/a>\u00a0at designated care facilities while further decriminalizing low-level possession in general.<\/p>\n The Washington State legislature recently sent a budget bill to the governor\u2019s desk that includes a proposal to\u00a0direct $200,000 in funding to support a new workgroup<\/a>\u00a0to study the possibility of legalizing psilocybin services in the state, including the idea of using current marijuana regulatory systems to track psychedelic mushrooms.<\/p>\n In March, the Hawaii Senate approved a bill to set up a state working group to\u00a0study the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin mushrooms<\/a>\u00a0and develop a \u201clong-term\u201d plan to ensure that the psychedelic is accessible for medical use for adults 21 and older.<\/p>\n Also that month, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill to\u00a0decriminalize low-level possession of psilocybin<\/a>\u00a0and promote research into the therapeutic potential of the psychedelic.<\/p>\n Rhode Island lawmakers introduced\u00a0a pair of drug decriminalization bills in March<\/a>\u2014including one focused on psilocybin and buprenorphine that would authorize doctors to prescribe the psychedelic mushroom.<\/p>\n An Oregon Senate committee also recently advanced a bill to ensure that equity is\u00a0built into the state\u2019s historic therapeutic psilocybin program<\/a>\u00a0that\u2019s actively being implemented following voter approval in 2020.<\/p>\n A bill to decriminalize a wide array of psychedelics in Virginia was taken up by a House of Delegates panel in January,\u00a0only to be pushed off until 2023<\/a>. A separate Senate proposal to decriminalize psilocybin alone\u00a0was later defeated in a key committee<\/a>.<\/p>\n California Sen. Scott Wiener (D) told Marijuana Moment in a recent interview that his bill to\u00a0legalize psychedelics possession<\/a>\u00a0stands a 50\/50 chance of reaching the governor\u2019s desk this year. It already cleared the full Senate and two Assembly committees during the first half of the two-year session.<\/p>\n Washington State lawmakers\u00a0also introduced legislation in January<\/a>\u00a0that would legalize what the bill calls \u201csupported psilocybin experiences\u201d by adults 21 and older.<\/p>\n New Hampshire lawmakers filed measures to\u00a0decriminalize psilocybin and all drugs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Legislation was\u00a0also enacted by the Texas legislature<\/a>\u00a0last year requiring the state to study the medical risks and benefits of psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine for military veterans in partnership with Baylor College of Medicine and a military-focused medical center.<\/p>\n At the congressional level, bipartisan lawmakers sent a letter to DEA in January, urging that the agency\u00a0allow terminally ill patients to use psilocybin<\/a>\u00a0as an investigational treatment without the fear of federal prosecution.<\/p>\n Activists and patients were recently\u00a0arrested at the DEA headquarters<\/a>\u00a0after engaging in civil disobedience during a protest over the agency\u2019s refusal to provide a waiver granting those patients access to psilocybin under Right to Try laws.<\/p>\n Colorado is also not the only state where voters may see drug policy reform measures on their November ballots:<\/strong><\/p>\n North Dakota activists this month turned in what they believe to be enough signatures to place a marijuana legalization initiative before voters<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arkansas voters are poised to see a marijuana legalization initiative on the state\u2019s November ballot, with activists turning in what they say are\u00a0more than double the required signatures to qualify<\/a> the measure this month.<\/p>\n Oklahoma activists also said this month that they\u2019ve submitted what they believe to be more than enough signatures to qualify a marijuana legalization initiative<\/a>\u00a0for the November ballot.<\/p>\n Maryland lawmakers passed legislation this year, which the governor allowed to go into effect without his signature, that will\u00a0put the issue of cannabis legalization before voters<\/a>\u00a0this November.<\/p>\n In May, South Dakota officials certified that activists\u00a0turned in a sufficient number of signatures<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0qualify a marijuana legalization measure for the November ballot<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advocates in Missouri have turned in\u00a0more than double the amount of signatures<\/a>\u00a0needed to\u00a0qualify a marijuana legalization initiative<\/a>\u00a0for the ballot.<\/p>\n Nebraska advocates recently submitted signatures for a\u00a0pair of medical cannabis legalization initiatives<\/a>. The campaign has faced several challenges along the way, including the loss of critical funding after a key donor passed away and a court battle of the state\u2019s geographic requirements for ballot petitions.<\/p>\n An initiative to legalize marijuana\u00a0will not appear on Ohio\u2019s November ballot<\/a>, the campaign behind the measure announced in May. But activists did reach a settlement with state officials in a legal challenge that will give them a chance to hit the ground running in 2023.<\/p>\n Michigan activists announced in June that they will no longer be pursuing\u00a0a statewide psychedelics legalization ballot initiative<\/a>\u00a0for this year\u2019s election and will instead focus on qualifying the measure to go before voters in 2024.<\/p>\n The campaign behind an effort to decriminalize drugs and expand treatment and recovery services in Washington State said in June that it has\u00a0halted its push to qualify an initiative<\/a>\u00a0for November\u2019s ballot.<\/p>\n While Wyoming activists said earlier this year that\u00a0they made solid progress in collecting signatures<\/a>\u00a0for a pair of ballot initiatives to decriminalize marijuana possession and legalize medical cannabis,\u00a0they didn\u2019t get enough to make the 2022 ballot deadline<\/a>\u00a0and will be aiming for 2024 while simultaneously pushing the legislature to advance reform even sooner.<\/p>\n In March, California activists announced that they\u00a0came up short on collecting enough signatures<\/a>\u00a0to qualify a measure to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for the state\u2019s November ballot, though they aren\u2019t giving up on a future election cycle bid.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, there are various local reforms that activists want to see voters decide on this November\u2014including local marijuana decriminalization ordinances in\u00a0Ohio<\/a>,\u00a0West Virginia<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Texas<\/a>.<\/p>\n Schumer Commits To Bipartisan Work To Pass Marijuana Reform \u2018This Year\u2019 After Legalization Bill Unveiled<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of Dick Culbert<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Colorado Psychedelics Legalization And Psilocybin Therapy Measure Qualifies For November Ballot<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Colorado voters will have the chance to decide on a historic ballot initiative this November to legalize psychedelics and create licensed psilocybin \u201chealing centers\u201d where people can use the substance for therapeutic purposes. Less than a month after activists turned in signatures for the \u201cNatural Medicine Health Act,\u201d the secretaryContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":56051,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56050"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56050"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56052,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56050\/revisions\/56052"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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\nRead More: Colorado Psychedelics Legalization And Psilocybin Therapy Measure Qualifies For November Ballot<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"