US city of Denver to vote on decriminalizing ‘magic mushrooms’

The US city of Denver is set to vote in a referendum that could practically approve the use of magic mushrooms.

If passed, the measure would bar officials from "spending resources to impose criminal penalties" for personal use and possession of the drug.

Magic mushrooms contain a psychedelic chemical, psilocybin, which under US federal law belongs in the same group of banned drugs as heroin or LSD.

Psilocybin would remain illegal under both Colorado and federal law. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration classifies the drug as a Schedule 1 substance, meaning the agency has deemed that it has a high potential for abuse and currently has no accepted medical use.

Denver decriminalized marijuana in 2005 ahead of the rest of Colorado state.

Tuesday's referendum is the first US public vote on magic mushrooms.

It asks voters if the personal use and possession of the drug should be the city's "lowest law enforcement priority".

If approved, the verdict would apply to Denver City and County residents over the age of 21.

However Decriminalise Denver, the group behind the initiative, argues that certain mushrooms "may be helpful in the treatment of cluster headaches, PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder] and OCD [Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder]".

A study in 2016, found that a hallucinogenic chemical in magic mushrooms shows promise for people with untreatable depression.

Decriminalize Denver says: "No-one should go to jail, lose their children, lose their job, and lose their citizen's rights for using a mushroom. One arrest is too many for something with such low and manageable risks for most people, relative to its potential benefits."

Mayor Michael Hancock has told the Denver Post that he opposes the mushroom question.

Denver District Attorney Beth McCann too, opposes the initiative. But if the measure is approved, she supports the review panel to be formed to study the effects of the drug and the impact the ordinance would have on Denver, spokeswoman Carolyn Tyler said.