Psilocybin law in Colorado

Scheduling

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. [C.R.S. 18-18-203, Schedule I, Colorado.Public.Law (reproduction of Colorado Revised Statutes), read 26 October 2026] [C.R.S. 18-18-434, Offenses relating to natural medicine and natural medicine product, Colorado.Public.Law (reproduction of Colorado Revised Statutes), read 26 October 2026]

What the law says

• 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. [Colorado Proposition 122, Decriminalization and Regulated Access Program for Certain Psychedelic Plants and Fungi Initiative (2022), Ballotpedia, read 26 October 2026]
• 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. [SB23-290 Natural Medicine Regulation And Legalization, Colorado General Assembly, 2023-05-23, read 26 October 2026]
• 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. [Natural Medicine Division home page, Colorado Department of Revenue, Natural Medicine Division, 2026-10-23, read 26 October 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. [Natural Medicine Division home page, Colorado Department of Revenue, Natural Medicine Division, 2026-10-23, read 26 October 2026]
• Facilitators who guide natural medicine sessions are licensed by the Colorado Office of Natural Medicine Licensure in the Department of Regulatory Agencies. [Colorado Natural Medicine Homepage, Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations, read 26 October 2026]
• Personal use protection does not allow selling natural medicine for remuneration or giving it to anyone under 21. [C.R.S. 18-18-434, Offenses relating to natural medicine and natural medicine product, Colorado.Public.Law (reproduction of Colorado Revised Statutes), read 26 October 2026]
• 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. [SB26-031 Use of Prescription Product with Controlled Substance, Colorado General Assembly, 2026-04-21, read 26 October 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. [HB26-1325 Natural Medicine, Colorado General Assembly, 2026-06-04, read 26 October 2026]

Local measures

Cities or counties that made psilocybin a low enforcement priority. Possession stays a state crime, and police outside these places are not bound.

• 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. [Denver, Colorado, Psilocybin Mushroom Initiative (May 2019), Ballotpedia, read 26 October 2026]

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)). [C.R.S. 18-18-434, Offenses relating to natural medicine and natural medicine product, Colorado.Public.Law (reproduction of Colorado Revised Statutes), read 26 October 2026]
• 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)). [C.R.S. 18-18-434, Offenses relating to natural medicine and natural medicine product, Colorado.Public.Law (reproduction of Colorado Revised Statutes), read 26 October 2026]

Bills

• HB26-1325 2026 Regular Session

  Natural Medicine

  Creates an ibogaine research pilot program of up to five sites in the Behavioral Health Administration and changes the natural medicine advisory board.

  Status: Became law; signed act dated 4 June 2026, 4 June 2026

• SB26-031 2026 Regular Session

  Use of Prescription Product with Controlled Substance

  Exempts FDA-approved, DEA-rescheduled prescription products containing a Schedule I substance from Schedule I.

  Status: Became law; signed act dated 21 April 2026, 21 April 2026

• SB25-297 2025 Regular Session

  Implementation of CO Natural Medicine Initiative

  Directs the health department to collect data on the health effects and impacts of natural medicine use.

  Status: Became law; signed act dated 3 June 2025, 3 June 2025

Dated changes

• 4 June 2026: Creates an ibogaine research pilot program of up to five sites in the Behavioral Health Administration and changes the natural medicine advisory board. Status: Became law; signed act dated 4 June 2026. Source
• 3 June 2025: Directs the health department to collect data on the health effects and impacts of natural medicine use. Status: Became law; signed act dated 3 June 2025. Source
• 31 March 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. Source
• 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. Source
• November 2022: Voters approved Proposition 122, the Natural Medicine Health Act, which added Article 170 to Title 12 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. Source