The active ingredient found in psychedelic mushrooms known as psilocybin has been on the government's Schedule I list for decades now. However, there are efforts currently underway to see mushrooms potentially decriminalized or legalized in different regions of the country such as Oregon and Denver, Colorado.

In Oregon, the attorney general there recently approved of language for a ballot measure that would essentially legalize psilocybin if it gets passed.

Those who have been pushing for change also insist that they aren't looking to model cannabis legalization methods, they're planning for something a little different. This, they say, is because psilocybin is much more complex than cannabis and therefore cannot be treated in the same manner.

A Global Drug Survey from 2017 that included data from over 100k participants of more than 20 countries, determined that mushrooms were the safest recreational drug of all.

If they are successful in Oregon then it would bring changes in the way of permitting licensed manufacturing and medical administration of the substance. But they are still going to need at least 140,000 verified signatures to be successful in getting that ballot measure accepted for 2020.

If they're successful in getting those changes passed in Oregon then it could mean allowing mushrooms for people in the state who have approval from a physician and who take the substance under appropriate supervision.

In Denver, a petition to support magic mushroom decriminalization has already gained thousands of signatures.

If successful, Denver might be the first city in the country to decriminalize. Those in Oregon are seeking a statewide ballot measure that could come later.

Those who are working toward decriminalization have said that they want to see families staying together and less people being sent to prison because of their use of this substance.

"Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, is proving a prodigious treatment for anxiety, depression, addiction, and one study even found it may lead to neurogenesis, or the regrowth of brain cells." - Dr. D. E. Nichols

If they are successful in Denver with their decriminalization that still wouldn't make way for permitting the sale and use of the substance. However, it would DE-prioritize the issue with law enforcement and forbid the city from using their resources to impose penalties over the issue.

Previous attempts have been made to seek decriminalization in California but those efforts failed to pass.

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