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 If passed, the ballot initiative would make Colorado's capital the
first U.S. city to end the imposition of criminal penalties for
individuals at least 21 years of age for using or possessing the
psychedelic drug.
But by 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday (0130 ET on Wednesday), the vote tally
stood at 52.45 percent opposed to decriminalization and 47.55
percent in favor, with around 74 percent of ballots counted,
according to the city's elections division.
If the initiative was approved, psilocybin would still 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 with no accepted medical application.
Decriminalize Denver, the group behind the ballot question, said
psilocybin has a wide range of medical benefits. It has been shown
to reduce depression and anxiety and to help in treating tobacco,
alcohol and opioid addictions, and with alleviating symptoms of post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the organization.
"We are decriminalizing mushrooms in Denver because the cure for
trauma is connection, and mushrooms are a key," the group said on
Facebook.
Some opponents worry that if passed, the initiative would increase
the city’s image as a haven for drugs, given that Colorado was one
of the first states to legalize possession and sale of marijuana for
adult recreational use.
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Denver District Attorney Beth McCann opposes the initiative. But if
the measure were approved, she supported formation of a review panel
under the initiative to study the effects of the drug and the impact
the ordinance would have on Denver, spokeswoman Carolyn Tyler said.
Mayor Michael Hancock, who is running for re-election, has told the
Denver Post that he opposes the mushroom question.
Denver residents first voted to decriminalize marijuana possession
in 2004, years before Colorado voters ultimately approved its
legalization statewide for recreational purposes, establishing a
full regulatory framework to license retail outlets and collect
sales taxes on cannabis products.
The psilocybin initiative is one of a handful of questions on
Tuesday's municipal ballot that also includes Hancock's bid for a
third term as mayor, and a measure to rescind an ordinance that
restricts homeless people from establishing encampments in public
places.
(Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Andrew Hay
in New Mexico; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Alison Williams)
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