There was a time not so long ago that the idea of mushroom decriminalization or mushroom legalization (or even just decriminalization), was nearly unthinkable. But not the trend to decriminalize mushrooms is clearly in place.
And yet, here we are again – on the Quality Spores blog, we’ve had the privilege to report on several major developments on efforts for decriminalization of mushrooms over the past year regarding the legal framework surrounding mushrooms, and nearly all of them have been in the favor of mushroom advocates. Possibly because there are practitioners or mushroom doctors working on special integration therapy using special therapy interventions in their practice.
Thanks to their tireless efforts, we’re please to report once more than yet another municipality in the United States has decriminalized mushrooms. Read an article about how Detroit decriminalizes special mushrooms in a recent development.
The good news doesn’t stop there in efforts to decriminalize mushrooms: in today’s post, we’ll look at other areas of the country or numerous cities that decriminalized mushrooms where freedom-loving therapeutic special advocates are making headway, such as Connecticut and—believe it or not—even Texas.
First, let’s learn more about what happened last week in Detroit:
Detroit Decriminalizes Mushrooms – What That Means in Efforts For Mushroom Drug Declassification
On November 2nd, election day, Detroit voters had their say regarding mushrooms: they were to be immediately decriminalized with the passage of Proposal E.
The passage of Proposal E wasn’t particularly narrow, either—over 61% of voters said yes to mushroom decriminalization.
This is a big step on the eventual path to legalization of mushrooms everywhere and in efforts toward making mushrooms legal for sale across more and more states. As more and more cities like Detroit pass decriminalization initiatives, the possibility of actual legalization—perhaps someday even on a federal level—becomes more and more likely.
Since it’s a concept we’ve covered repeatedly here on the Quality Spores blog, we won’t bore you with the details, but just as a quick recap it’s very important to note that decriminalization is not the same as legalization.
Decriminalization means that a substance is still technically illegal, but that the lowest amount of police resources will be dedicated to enforcing that law (e.g., an adult with a few grams of mushrooms will likely not be arrested). Legalization refers to the process of making something fully legal.
Regardless, it’s still a very important step for mushroom advocates, especially considering that Ann Arbor, another city in Michigan, also voted in favor of decriminalizing mushrooms last year.
This is fantastic progress, and with Detroit and Ann Arbor under their belts, advocates have their eye on a bigger prize: decriminalization throughout the entire state of Michigan. People suffering from pain mental health problems are researching different mushroom strains and looking into mushroom potency and effects for different medical or health issues.
In Addition to Detroit and Ann Arbor, The Entire State of Michigan Might Decriminalize Mushrooms
The recent win for mushroom advocates in Detroit will certainly help the likelihood of Senate Bill 0631 to pass—the bill would decriminalize special mushrooms statewide, not just in certain cities like Detroit and Ann Arbor.
The bill seeks to not only decriminalize mushrooms but a host of other entheogenic plants. While it certainly seems that mushrooms are leading the charge for what we’ve been calling the special renaissance 2.0, there are other naturally occurring substances which show at least some promise from a therapeutic point of view—though of course some voters simply believe that one should be allowed to make their own choices, legally.
These plants can catalyze profound experiences which prove to be of lasting benefit. […] Mental health problems like addiction, suicide, overdose, depression, and anxiety are currently present at high levels; plant medicines can be helpful.
Decriminalize Nature Michigan, a leading mushroom advocacy group in the state.
Decriminalizing Psychedelics in Connecticut Gets Support From Dr. Bronner’s
Are you familiar with Dr. Bronner’s soap?
You’d probably recognize it if you saw it—Dr. Bronner’s is that “funky” soap with all the small text on the label (which is all pretty wild if you take the time to read it). It’s a well-respected pure Castile soap particularly beloved by those seeking natural alternatives to the more chemical-laden stuff.
Anyway, the point is, what you might not know about the Dr. Bronner’s organization is that they’re wonderful supporters of mushroom reform.
Yes, really.
(Now that we think about it, the label makes perfect sense. Regardless, Dr. Bronner’s is one of the largest financial donors to New Approach, a lobbyist group in Connecticut which promotes drug reform in the state. One of their primary focuses is mushrooms. Thanks to mushroom’s rapidly growing preponderance of medical and therapeutic scientific evidence, we can’t say that we’re surprised—but this is good news for anyone in Connecticut indeed.
Psychedelic medicine can really help people heal and wake up, and grapple with pressing problems.
David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner’s Soap (and grandson of founder Emil Bronner).
You Know When Texas is Thinking About it Mushroom Legalization is Certainly Possible
We’re joking a bit here—Texas is a great state—but you have to admit that, politically at least, it hasn’t been the most open-minded state insofar as entheogenic substances are concerned.
However, earlier this year, thanks to the passage of HB1802, the state authorized the study of mushrooms for therapeutic purposes. Fast forward just a few months to November, and the push for special therapy legalization is being lead by none other than Texas veterans who suffer from PTSD, which mushrooms have been shown to be an extremely promising treatment for.
Now the state is putting more funds into studying mushrooms and other substances at the behest of local veterans groups. As of just this week, a study concerning the therapeutic benefit of mushrooms have started in Texas, with the involved participants being The Health and Human Services Commission, Baylor College of Medicine, and the Michael E. Debakey VA Hospital in Houston.
We are very eager to see progress in Texas. Could it be the next Oregon, where mushrooms are fully legal for therapeutic purposes?
In The Meantime, Get Your Mycology On By Studying Spores Under Your Microscope!
Mushrooms may still be illegal, but their spores aren’t—if they’re used for research purposes only and never cultivated.
If you’re a mycologist or amateur microscopist interested in learning more about these fascinating fungi, we encourage you to visit our mushroom spore store and explore our premium mushroom spore syringes for sale.