Colorado Legalizes Psychedelic Plants and Fungi: Ski Towns Largely to Thank

The citizens of Colorado are no strangers to facing controversial propositions on their ballots: in 2014 they were the first state to legalize marijuana and in 2019 the use of psilocybin was decriminalized in the city of Denver. The 2022 midterms have come and gone, and Colorado faced yet another contentious issue for voters. Proposition 122 moved to not only decriminalize possession but allow people aged 21 and older to legally grow and share psychedelics such as psilocybin (commonly found in ‘magic’ mushrooms).

The proposition was voted into law with slim margins, and it left Colorado as a state divided. According to the New York Times, the final numbers showed 53.5% of people voted yes while 46.5% voted no. But, the most interesting part of these numbers was the blatant division between Colorado’s front-range counties and their ski country. Aside from Denver and Boulder counties, without the ski towns, Proposition 122 would’ve been dead in the water.

While Colorado’s ski counties are not as large in population as many of those surrounding the city of Denver, their overwhelming turnout of voters in support of the legalization of psychedelics overpowered the parts of the state whose distaste for the movement ran deep. To name a few with the highest voter turnout; La Plata county, home to Durango had 28,156 total voters, 59% of whom voted yes, Eagle county, where Vail is located, put forward 20,721 voters and 62% of them voted in favor of 122. Along with Breckenridge and Copper’s Summit counties with 13,547 total voters providing 65% and Routt county, home to Steamboat, had 13,112 voters turn out with 63% of them voting yes.

Ski town Colorado has the largest population of progressive voters in the state, which is why it makes sense that they are to thank for the passing of Proposition 122. No retail sales of psychedelics mean it’s not likely that an increase in tourism is a huge factor in the support behind this law. A large contribution seems to be the benefits of the use of psilocybin to treat mental disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

According to TIME, the regulated access program to follow the passing of this law is set to launch in 2024. The stigma surrounding the use of psychedelics is waning and this Colorado law is a big step forward in terms of encouraging people to educate themselves on the issue and providing more people access to a new version of mental healthcare.