Journey: From Marijuana to Mushrooms

On Aug. 26, the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety Center released sobering data: young people are now the top users of psychedelics, with psilocybin ("magic mushrooms") leading the pack. Just two days later, state officials convened a listening session to hear from industry stakeholders about Proposition 122's rollout. This moment signals a dramatic policy shift in Colorado one that feels like moving from Marijuana to Mushrooms in both pace and playbook.

During the meeting, regulators from multiple state departments discussed how to manage new psychedelic "healing centers." Yet, as was the case with cannabis in 2012, the loudest voices came from those poised to profit. Observers note a striking similarity between the early marijuana industry and today's psychedelics entrepreneurs. The path from Marijuana to Mushrooms seems clear: start with decriminalization, then build a commercial framework around substances that remain federally controlled.

Parents and youth advocates worry that lessons from cannabis commercialization are being ignored. One Chance to Grow Up, a nonprofit that has tracked marijuana's unintended consequences on children, warns that Colorado is repeating its mistakes as it moves from Marijuana to Mushrooms. High-potency THC products have been linked to psychosis and other mental health harms; psilocybin edibles and chocolates may create comparable risks for kids.

The new regulatory scheme allows psychedelic mushrooms to be consumed in teas, tinctures, gummies, and capsules. For critics, this is déjà vu: the same marketing tactics that pushed super-potent THC concentrates now appear in the transition from Marijuana to Mushrooms. Without clear education campaigns, accidental ingestion by children or misuse by adults could become a public health crisis.

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