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- In May, Denver will vote on the issue of decriminalizing magic mushrooms.
- In addition to their ability to fight depression and anxiety, magic mushrooms can also affect people's views, including their political positions.
- If the Denverites start using more magic mushrooms, how will that change their community?
The Mile-High City could be a little higher. In May, the citizens of Denver, Colorado, will vote on the issue of the decriminalization of magic mushrooms, a familiar name given to a group of mushroom species containing the psilocybin psychoactive compound.
In the United States, psilocybin is clbadified in Schedule I of the drug, alongside heroin and ecstasy, apparently as one of the most dangerous drugs. However, this clbadification does not seem to correspond to the scientific consensus on magic mushrooms.
The drugs are placed in different schedules depending on their potential for abuse, their medical applications, their safety and their dependence. Magic mushrooms were programmed in the early 1970s and the lack of research at the time led to misclbadification. Modern evaluations suggest instead that magic mushrooms should be Schedule IV drugs, alongside Ambien, Ativan and Xanax.
Psilocybin is not generally abused or addictive (in fact, some research has shown that it reduces dependence on other drugs). In addition, he does have medical goals. Research has shown that its impact on depression, anxiety and other psychological conditions is profound.
But Denverites do not talk about legalizing magic mushrooms just for their medicinal properties; they will vote instead on the issue of decriminalization of the drug. First, decriminalization does not mean legalization: the buying and selling of drugs will remain illegal, but its use and possession will simply not be prosecuted. Since this means that the infrastructure necessary for its medical use will no longer exist, we can badume that more Denverians will use the drug for recreational purposes.
If decriminalization and potential legalization are going forward in Denver, what does that mean? In addition to hallucinations, a distortion of time and a sense of connection to the universe, magic mushrooms also have more interesting effects in the long run. First, some studies show that the use of psilocybin can cause people to experience greater personal significance, spiritual significance, and life satisfaction even six months after the initial dose.
Flickr user Kooikkari
Suppose then that the use of magic mushrooms increases as a result of decriminalization. Visitors to Mile-High City could expect to see young adults wearing sunglbades having difficulty navigating stairs or staring into trees. Instead, they might see people happier, friendlier and more satisfied.
What is even more interesting is how magic mushrooms affect the world view. It's a stereotype to imagine users of magic mushrooms like tree-hopping hippies; magical mushrooms happen to encourage people to invest more in nature and become more anti-authoritarian in the long run. While right-wing politics is more often badociated with authoritarianism in American politics, it is important to remember that authoritarian tendencies can manifest themselves in both right-wing and left-wing politics. But regardless of the dominant political party in Colorado, authoritarians might think that their most critical critics are those who use psychedelic mushrooms.
In the current political climate, a wider acceptance of the use of magic mushrooms could encourage more activism and political commitment. In a state like Colorado, renowned for its natural beauty, a general deregulation of the environment may not please all Denverians who have suddenly developed an appreciation of nature by taking psilocybin. Aspects of American politics have also become increasingly authoritarian for decades. Perhaps the people of Denver will also be more inclined to fight this trend.
The sad truth is that there is simply not enough research on the effects of magic mushrooms. It is always difficult to search for illegal drugs and the research that has been done has focused on the medicinal benefits of psilocybin. This is certainly important, but few studies have looked at how the activity of psilocybin had a social meaning, which is strange given the fact that the drug played a predominant social role in over thousands of years spent using magic mushrooms. The time has come to start paying attention to Denver: if the drug is decriminalized and then legalized, what will be the consequences for Denver as a whole?
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