By Robert Davis
For Colorado Sun
Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday granted pardons to four Coloradans convicted of state charges of possessing psilocybin and psilocybin. The pardons were in response to voters legalizing natural medicines in 2022.
The executive order announcing the pardons says it applies to a handful of people who were age 21 or older when they were convicted of possessing the psychoactive ingredients found in certain kinds of mushrooms.
The order does not say anything about people who were convicted of manufacturing or distributing natural medicines when their possession was illegal.
The governor acknowledged that his team “worked hard” to identify all people who qualified for a pardon. Municipalities and local governments are encouraged to contact the Colorado Bureau of Investigation if they identify anyone who qualifies for clemency and was overlooked.
Polis announced the pardons at the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference in Denver, which is expected to bring more than 4,000 natural medicine enthusiasts, policymakers and advocates to the city.
“This is an important step forward, not only for the individuals who will now have their records cleaned up, but also to address the public policy errors of the past,” Polis said at the press conference.
Possession and use of psychedelic substances, including psilocybin and psilocin, were legalized by Proposition 122, which also allows licensed “healing centers” to give clients mushrooms in a supervised setting, broadening access to what is considered a breakthrough treatment for anxiety and depression.
Colorado was the second state in the nation to decriminalize natural medicines containing psilocybin and psilocin. Since then, Colorado lawmakers have worked to build a regulatory framework that both supports businesses and protects consumers, Polis said.
For instance, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 290 in 2023, which created the Natural Medicine Advisory Board within the Department of Revenue. The advisory board is made up of natural medicine practitioners, Native American tribal members and policy experts. Their purpose is to recommend regulations and rules to support the burgeoning natural medicine industry.
During the last legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill that implemented many of the recommendations from the advisory board. It also gave Polis the power to pardon people convicted of state-level natural medicine offenses.
More than 100 natural medicine facilities have already been licensed to operate in Colorado, Polis said. Those include six healing centers, two manufacturers and several licensed therapy clinics.
“When we come together, we create better opportunities for breakthroughs,” Polis said.
Polis also hinted that more pardons may occur in the future as regulators consider new regulations for ibogaine, dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, and mescaline.
The move mirrors a mass pardon Polis issued four years ago to people convicted of possessing cannabis before Colorado legalized it in 2012. That move resulted in more than 4,000 cannabis possession convictions being thrown out.
This story has been republished with permission from The Colorado Sun. The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news outlet and public benefit corporation. To learn more and subscribe to newsletters, go to www.coloradosun.com.
Robert Davis writes about real estate, homelessness, and poverty for The Colorado Sun. His work has also appeared in outlets such as Business Insider, Capital & Main, and Denver Westword, among many others. Born in Chicago and raised in Atlanta, Robert moved to Denver with his partner, Victoria, in 2015. During his master’s program at NYU, Robert focused his studies on social justice issues in Colorado and the West.