Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday pardoned Coloradans with state-level criminal convictions for possession of “magic mushrooms.”
Speaking at the Psychedelic Science conference in Denver, the governor announced he had pardoned four people in light of changes to the law that no longer make possession a crime.
In 2022, Coloradans voted in favor of decriminalizing psilocybin and psilocin, two psychoactive compounds found in “magic mushrooms,” making it no longer a crime to use, possess and share the substances.
“Granting these pardons is an important step forward, of course, for the individuals who will now have this cleared from their record but also to really acknowledge the error in public policy that led to to their conviction, creating a more just system to break down barriers and help them move on with their lives,” Polis said.
The governor’s pardon, via an executive order, applies to anyone convicted of possession of psilocybin or psilocin at the state level. People with such convictions don’t need to apply for pardons, the governor’s office said in a statement, and Polis did not conduct individual reviews of the four convictions the state identified as qualifying under the order.
In his remarks, Polis also encouraged local jurisdictions to follow the state’s lead because “the vast majority” of convictions happen at the local level.
The pardons are similar to the ones Polis made in 2020 concerning cannabis possession. Those convictions were more widespread, with Polis issuing more than 2,700 pardons to Colorado residents.
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