Colorado legislators have introduced a new bill which would allow the Governor to pardon people convicted for psychedelic-related crimes, and revise the rules of the state’s psychedelics law.
On Tuesday, Sen. Matt Ball and Rep. Lisa Feret filed legislation proposing changes to allow Gov. Jared Polis, or any other future governors may grant mass-clemency in cases where people have convictions due to low level possession of drugs such as DMT, DMT ibogaine, and psilocybin. These substances are now legal for adults.
Polis asked lawmakers in 2023 to allow him to pardon people who had been convicted of psychedelics prior to the implementation of voter-approved policy.
The Governor said that at that time he was waiting for the legislature to grant him the authority to pardon, so “anyone who has a criminal conviction that’s now legal” can get it removed and not be held back by future job opportunities.
The newly-introduced measure, in addition to granting this authority to the Governor, would require that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment(CDPHE), Department of Revenue(DOR) and Department of Regulatory Agencies (“DORA”) “collect data and information related to the usage of natural medicines and natural medicine products.”
Included in this data would be information about law enforcement, adverse events and health claims, as well as behavioral effects related to psychedelics.
The bill states that “subject to available funds, CDPHE will also collect data and information from healing centers and facilitators related to natural medicine.” The CDPHE must create and maintain an information database.
The legislation, which is scheduled for a hearing before the Senate Health & Human Services Committee on Wednesday, further amends rules around licensing and ownership of psychedelic healing centers. The legislation, for example, removes the need for fingerprint-based background checks of owners and staff at licensed facilities. They will now only undergo name-based criminal history checks.
The law also “requires that the state licensing authorities adopt rules related product labels and products for regulated herbal medicine, and allows the licensing authorities to adopt regulations regarding what types of natural medicine products can be produced.”
Meanwhile, earlier this month the governor signed into law a bill that would allow a form of psilocybin to be prescribed as a medication if the federal government authorizes its use.
Colorado had already approved psilocybin for use by adults aged 21 or older, through an initiative that was voted on and passed. However, the reform now in place will allow drugs with a crystalized form of psilocybin that is synthesized to be prescribed under physician supervision.
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As of January, meanwhile, Colorado regulars have been authorized to approve licenses for psilocybin service centers where adults can access the psychedelic in controlled settings.
The governor signed a bill to create the regulatory framework for legal psychedelics in 2023.
The lawmakers are apparently interested in setting state policy to permit a conventional distribution system for some psychedelics. In 2022, Polis also signed a bill to align state statute to legalize MDMA prescriptions if and when the federal government ultimately permits such use.
The FDA has not yet decided whether it will approve such a therapy. Last year, the FDA was criticized for rejecting a request to permit MDMA-assisted treatment in people suffering from PTSD.
Meanwhile in Colorado, a bill that would have limited THC in marijuana and outlawed a variety of psilocybin products will no longer move forward this session following the lead sponsor’s move to withdraw the bill.
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Carlosemmaskype, Apollo and other photographers provided the images.
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