Colorado Governor Says Bill He Signed Allowing Psychedelic Convictions To Be Pardoned Marks A Step ‘Towards A Fairer Future’

The governor of Colorado says a bill he recently signed into law to
facilitate pardons for low-level psychedelics possession convictions
represents another step “towards a fairer future.”

Gov. Jared Polis (D) last week gave final approval to legislation that
empowers him and future governors to grant pardons to people who’ve been
convicted of psychedelics-related offenses, which he’s advocated for since the
state legalized certain entheogenic substances.

Polis promoted the “great news” on Monday, sharing a link to a Marijuana
Moment article about the signing of the bill, as well as a separate measure
aimed at reducing certain regulatory restrictions on cannabis businesses.

The bill allows for low-level “possession of psilocybin, ibogaine, and DMT,
which is now legal today, to be removed from criminal records,” the
governor said. “We’re working towards a fairer future.”

The newly enacted legislation from Sen. Matt Ball (D) and Rep. Lisa Feret
(D) authorizes governors to grant clemency to people with convictions for
low-level possession of substances such as psilocybin, ibogaine and DMT
that have since been legalized for adults under a voter-approved ballot
initiative in 2022.

It will also require the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment (CDPHE), Department of Revenue (DOR) and Department of
Regulatory Agencies (DORA) to “collect information and data related to the
use of natural medicine and natural medicine products.”

Great news, Colorado! I've signed a bill to allow low-flow-level possession
of psilocybin, ibogaine, and DMT, which is now legal today, to be removed
from criminal records. We're working towards a fairer future.
https://t.co/v6htjd5z7B pic.twitter.com/At38sHRhMJ

— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) June 10, 2025

That must include data on law enforcement activities, adverse health
events, consumer protection claims and behavioral impacts related to
psychedelics.

Prior to passage by the Senate last month, a committee amendment removed a
government appropriation to pay for data collection and tracking, replacing
a reference to “ongoing appropriations” with “appropriations or gifts,
grants, or donations.” Ball said at the time that lawmakers have a letter
of intent from the Psychedelic Science Funders Collaborative—a nonprofit
that supports advancing psychedelic therapy—to fund the program for the
entirety of its five-year duration.

The bill will earmark $208,240 in those funds for the governor’s office of
information technology. “To implement this act, the office may use this
appropriation to provide information technology services for the department
of public health and environment,” the text says.

The legislation further amends rules around licensing and ownership of
psychedelic healing centers. For example, it removes a requirement for
fingerprint background checks for owners and employees of licensed
facilities, making it so they would only be subject to a name-based
criminal background check.

It additionally “requires the state licensing authority to adopt rules
related to product labels for regulated natural medicine and regulated
natural medicine products and permits the state licensing authority to
adopt rules regarding the types of regulated natural medicine products that
can be manufactured.”

The proposal overall earned support from an array of advocates, including
psychedelic medicine proponents as well as groups more skeptical of
legalization. Public commenters at a hearing seemed to agree that the
bill’s data collection provisions would help observers both inside and
outside Colorado better understand the outcomes around regulated
psychedelics.

Late last month, Polis touted the fact that Colorado’s legal psychedelics
program is “fully launched” now that regulators have issued licenses for
each part of the psilocybin supply chain.


*— Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug
policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon
supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps,
charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.*


*Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on
Patreon to get access. —*

Earlier this session, the governor signed into law a bill that would allow
a form of psilocybin to be prescribed as a medication if the federal
government authorizes its use.

While Colorado already legalized psilocybin and several other psychedelics
for adults 21 and older through the voter-approved ballot initiative, the
newly enacted reform will make it so drugs containing an isolated
crystalized version synthesized from psilocybin can become available under
physician prescription.

Polis signed a bill to create the regulatory framework for legal
psychedelics in 2023.

Separately in Colorado, a bill that would have limited THC in marijuana and
outlawed a variety of psilocybin products died following the lead sponsor’s
move to withdraw the legislation.

Marijuana Companies Are Blocked From COVID-Era Employee Retention Tax
Credits Under 280E Penalty, Federal Court Says

*Photo courtesy of Dick Culbert.*

The post Colorado Governor Says Bill He Signed Allowing Psychedelic
Convictions To Be Pardoned Marks A Step ‘Towards A Fairer Future’ appeared
first on Marijuana Moment.