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Voters turned Denver into the first US city to decriminalize psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient of "magic mushrooms".
Decriminalization is led by 51%, according to preliminary figures released Tuesday by the Denver Elections Division. There are still 1,300 votes to be counted, but that is not enough to tip the vote in the opposite direction, said division spokesman Alton Dillard.
The final election results will be released on May 16, he said.
"I think the result today really shows that the conversation will continue and that the world is ready for it," said Cindy Sovine, chief political strategist for the drug decriminalization campaign. .
"Psychedelics are already here, and now we can start having a conversation about their thoughtful use," she added.
The organizers adopted the same strategy used by marijuana activists to decriminalize the possession of pots in 2005 in the city. This decision was followed by legalization at the state level in 2012. Several other states have since widely authorized the sale and use of marijuana by adults.
The organizers say their only goal in the mushroom is to keep people out of jail in Denver for using or owning the drug to deal with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and dementia. Other conditions.
"We are not talking about legalization, we are talking about not putting people in jail," Sovine said.
The initiative effectively decriminalizes the use or possession of psilocybin by those aged 21 and over, making it the lowest enforcement priority for police and prosecutors. It does not legalize psilocybin and does not allow its sale by companies specialized in cannabis.
Kevin Matthews, director of Decriminalize Denver, said psilocybin has helped him cope with depression for years.
"It's not something you have to take every day," said the 33-year-old Denver native. "It offers many lasting benefits, weeks and months after an experience."
Psilocybin has been banned by the federal government since the 1960s, while it was widely recognized as a recreational drug. The ban has blocked medical research, but small studies in recent years have shown that the substance has positive effects on anxiety and depression in cancer patients.
Users described seeing bright colors and geometric patterns and experienced powerful spiritual connections and emotions.
Magic mushrooms have been used in religious practices for decades because of their powerful effect on spiritual perceptions and experiences. These same effects appealed to recreational users of the 1960s counterculture movement.
A California effort to decriminalize psilocybin has failed to qualify for statewide voting in 2018. Oregon organizers are trying to garner enough support to hold a statewide vote next year.
It took the psilocybin organizers in Denver three attempts to develop a language approved by city officials. They collected more than 8,000 signatures to qualify for Tuesday's election.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and District Attorney Beth McCann opposed the initiative, but there has been no organized campaign against decriminalization. The city's election is largely focused on a run for six for the mayor and a keen effort to end the ban on Denver's "urban camping" that affects homeless people.
Voters have firmly rejected the ban on camping. In the mayoral race, incumbent President Michael Hancock will face an election on June 4 against challenger Jamie Giellis.
The mushroom ordinance also prevents the use of city funds for the application of criminal penalties for possession and use and creates a group of experts to study the effects of the change.
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