Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Ultimately Neutral On Legalizing Psychedelics?

Jared Polis (D), Colorado’s governor since 2018 and currently running for reelection, said in a recent televised debate with opponent Heidi Ganahl that he is still hesitant on whether he’ll vote for the statewide psychedelics legalization measure in next November’s ballot, reported Marijuana Moment. 

When asked about the project legalizing the possession of entheogenic substances he said, “Like most Colorado voters, I’ll be reading the Blue Book and making our decision, discussing it around our kitchen table. I haven’t looked at that one yet.”

As journalist Kyle Jaeger recalls, a similar scenario took place in Colorado in 2012 with the marijuana legalization ballot initiative.  While Polis, then a member of the US House of Representatives, presented himself as a cannabis reform advocate, he took a neutral stance on the marijuana measure.

Colorado ballots hit mailboxes this week. Your ballot will be sent to the mailing address you provided for your voter registration file.

For more information, visit https://t.co/Z9u6WKWpET pic.twitter.com/1XuATueH7L

— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) October 18, 2022

The governor’s recent decision regarding the Natural Medicine Health Act coincides with certain activists campaigning against the initiative on behalf of the numerous regulations it imposes for entheogenic substances and also for benefitting financial interests behind the provision of psychedelic therapies services.

In a May 2022 interview, despite not declaring his full endorsement to psychedelics legalization efforts, Gov. Polis did mention recent studies showing the therapeutic potential for treating mental health disorders. He stated his general support for decriminalizing these substances.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl said she’s opposed to the idea of legalizing other drugs besides already lawful marijuana.

Photo courtesy of Foxyliam and Chones on Shutterstock and Wikimedia Commons.