A slim majority of voters in Denver voted to decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms on Wednesday.
Although it initially appeared that voters rejected the grassroots ballot initiative Tuesday afternoon, Denver election officials later shared that final numbers revealed 50.56% of voters backed the initiative.
The law doesn’t legalize the psychedelic mushrooms, but instructs police that arresting those for possessing or using the hallucinogenic mushrooms is “the lowest law enforcement priority in the City and County of Denver.”
“Our victory today is a clear signal to the rest of the country that American are ready for a conversation around” hallucinogenic mushrooms, leader of Decriminalize Denver Kevin Matthews told NPR.
But others in Denver were less enthusiastic about the results. For example, Denver’s District Attorney Beth McCann voiced concern about the impact of the mushrooms on drivers and that the city would draw in drug users.
“We’re still figuring out marijuana, and even though things are going well so far, we’re still measuring the impacts on the people of Denver,” McCann said, according to the Washington Post.
The referendum only applies to Denver, not the rest of Colorado. The state approved recreational marijuana in 2012.
