Description
Driving back and forth to an art show in Denver this past March, I was struck by the sheer number of cannabis dispensaries dotting the landscape along the stops off I-40. This proliferation mirrors the rapid growth of legal recreational cannabis stores in my home state of New Mexico, reflecting a broader cultural and legislative shift across the region.
Colorado, of course, has long been a pioneer in this movement. It was one of the first two states, alongside Washington, to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012. Over the past decade, the cannabis industry has flourished there, contributing to the state’s economy and setting an example for other states considering similar measures.
Now, Colorado is once again breaking new ground, becoming the second state in the nation—after Oregon—to legalize the use of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in so-called magic mushrooms. However, this legislation, passed in 2022, permits the use but not the sale of psilocybin, signaling a cautious yet progressive approach to the growing interest in psychedelics for therapeutic and personal exploration.
This journey through the changing legal and cultural landscapes of cannabis and psychedelics highlights a fascinating shift in societal attitudes toward substances once relegated to the margins. Both Colorado and New Mexico are part of this unfolding story, shaping a future where the potential benefits of these substances are more widely recognized and regulated.
