DENVER — In 2014, Denver lead the charge in the country of legalizing recreational marijuana. Ten years later, they hope to do the same — this time with natural medicine like psilocybin.
The Drug Enforcement Administration said psilocybin comes from certain mushrooms, taken by mouth for a hallucinating effect.
But before that can be a reality, the city is asking for advice from experts. Applications are open through March 13 to join the natural medicine work group, which will help make recommendations about city regulations.
The conversation around mushrooms started with local and state ballot initiatives in 2019 and 2022. Then in 2023, the Colorado legislature passed a bill allowing local jurisdictions to adopt local licenses for natural medicine healing centers, cultivation facilities, manufacturing facilities and testing facilities.
“It's time for action, we are ready to start moving,” said Molly Duplechian, the executive director of Denver’s Department of Excise and Licenses. “We are excited that Denver can lead the way, and I think we are just excited to learn obviously there is a lot of interest in this and we have a lot to figure out.”
To help figure things out, the Department of Excise and Licenses is creating a natural medicine work group.
“We are establishing a Denver natural medicine work group to explore whether there should be local licensing in regulations for natural medicine, which is really psilocybin, which the Denver voters approved in 2022,” Duplechian said.
This natural medicine work group will help make recommendations about city regulations.
“Anyone is welcome to apply, we want to hear from a diversity of perspectives — people with experience in the space or people that might just have an interest in how it's going to work in the community,” Duplechian said.
Denver did something similar in 2019 after voters approved decriminalizing psilocybin, and required the city to come up with a report about natural medicine. Kevin Matthews was a part of it.
“I set out with a vision in 2019,” Matthews said.
He said he hopes to be a part of this work group because he's proud of Denver.
“They've taken a really strong leadership role and this is just another step toward ensuring or doing the best we can to ensure that the folks who are suffering can receive this type of treatment and heal,” Matthews said.
Matthews was once the one suffering.
“A little over a decade ago I had an experience with psilocybin that completely changed my perspective because of my own diagnosis with depression,” Matthews said. “Long story short I was a cadet with the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and ended up leaving West Point because of major depression.”
Psilocybin has helped Matthews in his own life.
“Psilocybin, from my own personal experience, speaking personally, really shined a light on some of the, like, underlying root traumas that I faced,” Matthews said. “What I hope the natural medicine work group will accomplish is really creating opportunities for Denver residents to access mushrooms in therapy in ways that compliment the diverse communities that Denver has.”
Duplechian said now the city is ready to get to work.
“We are really ready to start learning we have that timeframe in mind knowing that a year from now we could be seeing these businesses operating in Denver,” Duplechian said.
Unlike recreational marijuana, where you can leave a dispensary with cannabis, the psilocybin has to be taken onsite.
Your application to join the natural medicine work group is due March 13 by 5:00 p.m. If Denver ultimately decides to create a license system, city council will need to approve it. That could happen by the end of the year, with businesses up and running by 2025. According to state law, cities cannot opt of this like they could with marijuana.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS