This November, Washington D.C. residents may have the opportunity to cast their votes if psychedelic mushrooms should be decriminalized in America’s capital. If approved by voters, the Nation’s Capital would follow suit with cities such as Denver, Oakland and Santa Cruz who recently decriminalized the possession of products containing psilocybin or psilocin.
On February 5th, 2020, the Washington D.C. The Board of Elections moved this decriminalization proposal forward by approving this ballot initiative to be voted on a citywide vote if requirements are met. The next step in the proposal process is to get the required 10% of signatures over the next 180 days.
The signatures must equal 10% of the registered voters in 5 of the city’s 8 election wards. If the signature requirements are met then it will be on the ballot this November during the peak of the 2020 presidential election.
Decriminalization is the first step towards legalization. There are some differences between decriminalization and legalization. Decriminalization at the city level stops local funding to pursue criminality penalties for citizens using or possessing psychedelic mushrooms. This is an important first step at the city level because it demonstrates a shift in public opinion and local laws.
Legalization, on the other hand, is a process that would remove all legal barriers. If psychedelic mushrooms are legalized it would be available at the retail level, similar to tobacco and alcohol.
Americans are truly living through magical times as we organically rewrite the laws with grassroots efforts at the local level. The legalization of psychedelic mushrooms is gaining momentum as more and more cities decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms.