US EditionGovernor Polis Grants Fresh Start: Pardon for Psilocybin and Psilocin Possession Convictions
DENVER COUNTY, COLORADO, JUN 18 – Governor Jared Polis granted pardons to four Coloradans convicted of psilocybin possession, urging local jurisdictions to consider similar clemency as Colorado expands natural medicine legalization.
- On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Governor Jared Polis granted full pardons for four state-level convictions of psilocybin and psilocin possession in Denver, Colorado.
- This action follows Colorado voters' 2022 ballot initiative that decriminalized natural psychedelics and the passage of Senate Bill 25-297, which authorized Polis to issue class-based pardons for natural medicine offenses.
- Polis highlighted Colorado's development of a regulatory framework supporting more than 100 licensed natural medicine facilities, including healing centers and facilitators, while encouraging local governments to aid in identifying others eligible for clemency.
- Governor Jared Polis explained that the pardons clear previous state convictions related to psilocybin and psilocin possession that are no longer considered offenses under current law, describing this measure as a meaningful advancement toward rectifying earlier policy mistakes.
- The pardons set a precedent as Colorado leads in legalizing psychedelics, suggesting ongoing reforms and potential pardons for other natural medicines while the state’s model influences similar efforts nationwide.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Colorado Springs Gazette
Denver GazettePolis announces mass pardons for psilocybin possession at Denver psychedelics conference
Gov. Jared Polis announced Wednesday at the Psychedelic Science Conference in Denver he is issuing a mass pardon for individuals convicted of possessing psilocybin in Colorado, calling the move an overdue step toward justice.
Reporter Herald
Daily CameraPolis to pardon psilocybin possession
The 2025 Psychedelic Science conference and trade show in Denver started with a bang — or perhaps with the creaking sound of jail cells opening — on Wednesday when Gov. Jared Polis declared that he will pardon Coloradans with past state convictions for possession of psilocybin and psilocin, the naturally occurring chemicals in magic mushrooms. Polis made a similar sweeping pardon after recreational cannabis was legalized a decade-plus ago. With …
Polis announces pardons at psychedelics conference
DENVER (KDVR) — Gov. Jared Polis spoke at the Psychedelic Science 2025 Conference on Wednesday, announcing the pardons of people who were convicted at the state level of possessing psilocybin or psilocin. The announcement follows Coloradans' decision to decriminalize natural medicines and direct the state to build a regulatory framework for it, via a vote in 2022. Another factor in the decision stems from the signing of SB25-297: Implementation …
Gov. Polis pardons Coloradans convicted of psychedelics possession
Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday granted pardons to four Coloradans convicted of state charges of possessing psilocybin and psilocin after voters legalized the natural medicines in 2022. The executive order announcing the pardons says it applies to a handful of people who were age 21 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 convict…
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