Growing up in the colorful state of Colorado gives one a different take on the world. Since the legalization of marijuana on November 6th, 2012, our perspective on weed has shifted from most other parts of the country. Along with marijuana, Denver just voted to decriminalize ‘magic mushrooms’, but this measure didn’t pass with a 46% in favor and 54% opposed. We may often forget that in other places in this country these drugs are still classified and treated as Schedule 1 drugs, the worst classification of drugs in America.

According to the DEA, “Schedule 1 drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” So why are psilocybin mushrooms and Marijuana thrown in this classification? In the past decade, there has been much research on the health and mental benefits that both of these drugs can give.

Clinical psychologist Ros Watts, PhD, of Imperial College London has been doing research on the medical benefits that psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in mushrooms, can give to a person. She has found that it makes the brain more plastic, meaning that it can break out of restricted paths that your brain typically follows, which can lead to new insightful thoughts and views of life.

She has also found that the positive effects can be more long lasting than pharmaceutical drugs (which have a higher abuse potential than the compounds found in these natural occurring drugs). Some of the problems mushrooms have been found to help include anxiety, depression, PTSD, and addictions like smoking.

We are also finding more research on the health benefits of marijuana coming out, now that it is being normalized in America. Some of those health benefits include helping ADHD, breaking addictions, improving lung health, helping anxiety, slowing the development of Alzheimer’s, helping chronic pain, and the list goes on.

Along with the actual medical uses already found with these drugs that should disqualify them from being categorized as Schedule 1, there are other social reasons to work on integrating these substances into a less taboo view by the American government and people. Decriminalizing these substances would, in turn, lower crime rates, create jobs, and give more access to research on them.

America should also be working on decriminalizing these substances because they were only criminalized  as an act against indigenous and colored people in America. Both have been used as natural remedies for centuries in both cultures, but colonizers from Europe didn’t have the same perspective on these drugs, thus explaining their current classification.

An important side note that I would like to add is that there have been negative effects from taking psilocybin, and both substances are drugs that alter the way your brain works. I am not promoting the use of these substances, especially if you are not of age. I am not arguing that they should be completely legalized for public consumption, either. That being said, it is time to work toward the future, acknowledge the positive effects that have already been found, and de-classify this drug from Schedule 1.