'Magic Mushrooms'
Could Soon Be Legal in Denver Denver voters will decide
whether or not to decriminalize
the psychedelic drug psilocybin
in a vote on Tuesday. The drug naturally occurs in
some mushrooms. Denver would be the first U.S.
city to decriminalize psilocybin. Proponents of decriminalization
say the drug has the potential to
treat several types of addiction
and mental disorders. Detractors say Tuesday's measure
is too broad and would allow for
all kinds of personal use,
not just medical. While psychedelics have been used
ceremonially by different cultures
since ancient times, they have recently
seen a resurgence in popularity. The drug has been the focus
of a major study at
Johns Hopkins University. The FDA recently approved
a test of the drug on people who
suffer from treatment-resistant depression. Psilocybin has been outlawed
by the federal government since 1970.