Gov. Jared Polis announced Wednesday he is issuing a mass pardon for individuals convicted of possessing psilocybin in Colorado, calling the move an overdue step toward a “a more just system.”

The announcement came during his keynote speech at the Psychedelic Science Conference at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver.

“These pardons (are) an important step forward,” Polis said. “Of course, for the individuals who will now have this cleared from the record, but also to really acknowledge the error in public policy that led to their conviction, creating a more just system to break down barriers and help them move on with their lives.”

Polis previously issued a mass pardon for low-level cannabis possession convictions after the state legalized recreational marijuana in 2012.

His latest move follows the passage of Senate Bill 25-297 earlier this year, which authorized the governor to issue class-based pardons for convictions related to “natural medicine possession.” That law built on a growing body of psychedelic policy changes in Colorado, including a 2022 voter-approved ballot measure that decriminalized certain natural psychedelics — like psilocybin mushrooms — for adults 21 and older, and SB23-290, which set up the state’s regulatory framework.

Supporters of the program often point to research saying psilocybin can be an effective treatment for a number of mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Critics, meanwhile, insist that the substance is linked with suicide and accidental deaths, as well as associated with psychosis. Critics have also been pushing for strict oversight, arguing it is necessary because psychedelics are being promoted and “normalized on social media in the same way that marijuana has been for the past decade.”

Polis said his team identified four state-level psilocybin possession convictions eligible for the pardon, but the “vast majority” of convictions in Colorado have occurred at a local level. He urged municipal governments to follow the state’s lead.

“If you live in Denver, if you live in Boulder, please let your city council, your mayors, know,” Polis said.

The governor also provided an update on the rollout of Colorado’s legal psychedelics infrastructure, which includes regulated centers and licensed facilitators. So far, the state has approved more than 100 facilitators, with multiple psilocybin centers already operating and more applications pending. Two product manufacturers and a testing lab have also been licensed.

Polis touted the state for creating a system that described as easy to navigate.

“The last thing that we wanted to do was create any bureaucratic impediments to businesses,” he said. “We have a nation-leading cannabis regulatory regime… We could learn from that.”

Colorado’s model is being closely watched across the U.S., where efforts to decriminalize or legalize psychedelics are picking up in states like California, Oregon and New York.

The Psychedelic Science Conference, hosted by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), drew thousands of scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, and advocates from around the world to discuss the evolving psychedelic landscape. An exact participant count was not available. The event returned to Denver for the second time after a 2023 debut, when many in the psychedelic space believed widespread regulatory approval for MDMA and other substances was just around the corner.

Two years later, that optimism from the industry has been tempered by regulatory setbacks — most notably the FDA’s recent rejection of MAPS’ application for MDMA-assisted therapy to treat PTSD.

“Big heartbreak,” said MAPS founder Rick Doblin of the decision during his own keynote address.

Still, Doblin said, the “psychedelic ’20s” are far from over. He pointed to a $50 million Series B round for MAPS’ public benefit corporation, Lykos, and a $9.8 million Department of Defense-funded MDMA trial as signs of a momentum.

The movement is “still alive,” Doblin said.

The five-day conference continues through Friday, with sessions covering a wide range of topics, including psychedelic-assisted therapy for trauma, the role of Indigenous tradition and communities, clinical trial design, addiction treatment, and integration practices for patients and practitioners. Speakers include medical researchers, policy experts, veterans’ advocates and international health officials.

Meanwhile, some groups are working to educate consumers on the dangers of psilocybin mushrooms, especially when it comes to children. 

“We want governments to be on the front edge of protecting young people, and they’re still-developing brains, as opposed to playing catch up like we did after marijuana was legalized,” Alton Dillard, a spokesperson for nonprofit One Chance to Grow, told The Denver Gazette previously.

In his remarks, Polis praised Colorado’s regulatory environment, which he said is grounded in public safety and research.

“We want to make sure (individuals) can have as safe an experience as possible while being aware of the risks associated with it, as well as potential benefits, as we lead the way here in Colorado with regulated use of psychedelics,” he said.