Is psilocybin legal in Colorado?

Current status

• Psilocybin and psilocyn remain listed in Schedule I, C.R.S. 18-18-203(2)(c)(XXI) and (XXII), but C.R.S. 18-18-434(5)(a) provides that a person who, for personal use and without remuneration, possesses, consumes, shares, cultivates or manufactures natural medicine does not violate state law. (Colorado.Public.Law (reproduction of Colorado Revised Statutes), current page; Colorado.Public.Law (reproduction of Colorado Revised Statutes), current page)

• Colorado voters approved Proposition 122, the Natural Medicine Health Act, on 8 November 2022 with 53.64% of the vote; it decriminalized personal use of psilocybin, psilocyn, DMT, ibogaine and mescaline (excluding peyote) for adults 21 and older and created a regulated access program. (Ballotpedia, current page)
• SB23-290, signed 23 May 2023, set the regulatory framework: the Division of Professions and Occupations licenses facilitators and the Department of Revenue licenses natural medicine businesses. (Colorado General Assembly, 23 May 2023)
• The Department of Revenue's Natural Medicine Division began accepting business license applications on 31 December 2024 and licenses healing centers, cultivations, manufacturers and testing facilities. (Colorado Department of Revenue, Natural Medicine Division, 23 Oct 2026)
• As of 23 October 2026 the Natural Medicine Division listed 11 standard and 35 micro healing center licenses, 15 cultivation, 8 product manufacturer and 1 testing facility license. (Colorado Department of Revenue, Natural Medicine Division, 23 Oct 2026)
• Facilitators who guide natural medicine sessions are licensed by the Colorado Office of Natural Medicine Licensure in the Department of Regulatory Agencies. (Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations, current page)
• Personal use protection does not allow selling natural medicine for remuneration or giving it to anyone under 21. (Colorado.Public.Law (reproduction of Colorado Revised Statutes), current page)
• SB26-031, signed in April 2026, exempts from Schedule I an FDA-approved prescription drug product containing a Schedule I substance once the DEA reschedules it, without affecting the natural medicine program. (Colorado General Assembly, 21 Apr 2026)
• HB26-1325 (2026) creates an ibogaine research pilot program in the Behavioral Health Administration with up to five sites, contingent on gifts, grants and donations. (Colorado General Assembly, 4 Jun 2026)

Every licensed psilocybin centre in Colorado, from the state register

Decriminalized cities and counties

• Denver, 2019: Voter-approved Initiative 301 (7 May 2019) made adult possession and use of psilocybin mushrooms the city's lowest law-enforcement priority and barred spending city resources on enforcing related penalties; it predates statewide decriminalization. (Ballotpedia, current page)

A local lowest-priority measure tells city or county police and prosecutors where to spend their time. It does not change state or federal law, and state or federal officers can still enforce it.

Penalties

• A person under 21 who knowingly possesses or consumes natural medicine commits a drug petty offense, punishable by a fine of up to $100 or up to four hours of substance use education or counseling (C.R.S. 18-18-434(1)). (Colorado.Public.Law (reproduction of Colorado Revised Statutes), current page)
• Openly and publicly displaying or consuming natural medicine is a drug petty offense punishable by a fine of up to $100 and up to 24 hours of useful public service (C.R.S. 18-18-434(2)). (Colorado.Public.Law (reproduction of Colorado Revised Statutes), current page)

Federal law applies in Colorado too

• Peyote and mescaline are listed in Schedule I(c) of the Controlled Substances Act, as are psilocybin, psilocyn, DMT and ibogaine. (Legal Information Institute (Cornell) reproducing the U.S. Code, current)
• Outside the exemptions, distributing a Schedule I substance not named in the large-quantity tiers carries up to 20 years and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for an individual on a first offence (21 U.S.C. 841(b)(1)(C)); simple possession carries up to 1 year and a minimum fine of $1,000 on a first offence (21 U.S.C. 844(a)). (Legal Information Institute (Cornell) reproducing the U.S. Code, current; Legal Information Institute (Cornell) reproducing the U.S. Code, current)

Law-change log

• 31 Mar 2025: The Department of Revenue's Natural Medicine Division issued Colorado's first healing center licence, to The Center Origin. Operating also depends on local approvals and on licensed cultivation and testing. (Colorado Department of Revenue, Natural Medicine Division, 2 Apr 2025)
• 23 May 2023: SB23-290 (Natural Medicine Regulation and Legalization) was signed. It sets up licensing of facilitators (Department of Regulatory Agencies) and natural medicine businesses (Department of Revenue), limits 'natural medicine' to psilocybin and psilocyn unless regulators add DMT, mescaline or ibogaine on or after 1 June 2026, and expressly excludes peyote. (Colorado General Assembly, 23 May 2023; Colorado General Assembly, 23 May 2023)
• Nov 2022: Voters approved Proposition 122, the Natural Medicine Health Act, which added Article 170 to Title 12 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. (Colorado Secretary of State, 2022)

Questions and answers

Is psilocybin legal in Colorado?

Psilocybin is legal for adults 21 and older in Colorado: voters approved Proposition 122 in 2022, personal possession, use and non-commercial sharing are lawful under C.R.S. 18-18-434, and state-licensed healing centers offer supervised psilocybin sessions.

Has any city in Colorado decriminalized psilocybin?

1 local measure: Denver (2019). Local measures set enforcement priorities; they do not change state or federal law.

Are there psilocybin bills in Colorado?

None is pending. Recent bills: HB26-1325, Became law; signed act dated 4 June 2026; SB26-031, Became law; signed act dated 21 April 2026; SB25-297, Became law; signed act dated 3 June 2025.

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