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When news broke the afternoon of May 8 that Denver voters had approved Initiative 301, which decriminalizes consumption, possession and growth of psychedelic mushrooms, Twitter almost broke, too, thanks to social-media wits grabbing their phones to weigh in on the latest way the Mile High City has lived up to its nickname.
The results, as you’ll see below, are consistently hilarious, frequently profane and often thought-provoking.
Granted, many citizens of Twitter Nation seem to have a shaky understanding of the distinction between decriminalization and legalization. But others see the move in a historic context, and that’s appropriate. While the world knows that Colorado voters approved the legal, limited sale of recreational cannabis in November 2012 by way of Amendment 64, Denver’s role in laying the groundwork for this revolution isn’t remembered nearly as well.
It should be. In 2005, activist Mason Tvert’s Safer Alternative to Recreational Enjoyment, better known as SAFER, placed a measure on the Denver ballot to decriminalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by anyone over twenty years of age – and it passed. Two years later, a followup that made cannabis possession the city’s lowest police priority did as well. Half a decade down the line, Colorado as a whole went even further.
Is psilocybin embarking on a similar journey? The prospect thrills some folks and unnerves others in ways that will put you in a very special head space. Count down our picks for the twenty most memorable tweets about yesterday’s magic moment to see what we mean.
Number 20:
People in Denver wavy as fuck voting to decriminalize magic mushrooms https://t.co/lJaIPQdk5w
— Lyanna Mormont is braver than the troops (@arqamknight) May 9, 2019
Number 19:
Ha! Colorado is so progressive with zero fucks left to give
Denver Voters Approve Measure To Decriminalize Psychedelic Mushrooms.https://t.co/pHRr7NOEQS— Sweetcher ? (@sweetcher62) May 9, 2019
Number 18:
So are there a bunch of off duty cops in Denver right now tripping on mushrooms and realizing that becoming a cop was the reckless decision that changed their lives when they were 19 and not taking mushrooms like everyone told them?
— Stephen Gary Fitzgerald (@stephengaryy) May 9, 2019
Number 17:
Crazy people are still getting arrested for weed in some states and Denver out here decriminalizing magic mushrooms they’re doin something right
— Dan-delion (@dopeassdanii) May 9, 2019
Number 16:
Holy fuck Denver is legalizing psylocibin mushrooms
— D (@its_dandre) May 9, 2019
Number 15:
The mile high city just got higher…
Denver first in U.S. to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms https://t.co/rlqMfrDMZR via @denverpost
— The Festival Gal (@TheFestivalLife) May 9, 2019
Number 14:
Denver, Colorado decriminalized magic mushrooms, mushrooms will be the new weed one day just wait.
— Josh (@Jay_Jeffs) May 9, 2019
Number 13:
HOLY SHIT I JUST LEARNED THAT DENVER DECRIMINALIZED MUSHROOMS. WTF YALL DONT EVEN KNOW HOW BIG THIS IS. I WANNA CRY
— milo red (@MiloRed_) May 9, 2019
Number 12:
denver: *votes to legalise weed*
denver: *votes to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms*
denver: fuck the homeless tho, that's illegal.— aaah! med (@waishda) May 9, 2019
Number 11:
Oh joy. Denver just legalized psychedelics. As if the stoners weren’t bad enough now it’s gonna be full idiots tripping on acid and mushrooms. I don’t care if it increases tax revenue, it also massively increases TRAFFIC!
— JimmyDean23 (@JimmyDean23) May 9, 2019
Number 10:
Everyone in Denver is excited about mushrooms being decriminalized but I'm sitting here having flashbacks to the time I was 6 and ate the mushrooms growing in the cow shit in the field across the road and realized that Super Mario Bros. on the NES was actually a documentary.
— Brandy Bryant (@ComedyBrandyB) May 9, 2019
Number 9:
Nashville: Ok, fine, you can buy wine on Sunday.
Atlanta: Ok, fine, if you are real sick, you can have weed but still not actually buy it anyway.
Detroit: Ok, fine, weed is legal now.
Denver: Magic mushrooms for everybody. WEEEEEEEEEE— Brett Kelman (@BrettKelman) May 9, 2019
Number 8:
DENVER JUST VOTED TO DECRIMINALIZE PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOMS FUCK YEAH HOLY SHIT IVE NEVER BEEN THIS PUMPED
— seanayy (@symz98) May 8, 2019
Number 7:
DENVER YOU CRAZY FUCKS I LOVE YOU!
Psilocybin mushrooms are OFFICIALLY DECRIMINALIZED!!!
Monumental step in the right direction pushing against the stigma of psychedelicshttps://t.co/qCdfFCm8Ek
— ? ? ? (@dsquareddan) May 8, 2019
Number 6:
Denver just decriminalized mushrooms wow. I think tripping Is good, personally. That's my stance.
— zach (@SPORTSLlKER) May 8, 2019
Number 5:
Denver: First weed, now magic mushrooms. What a forward thinking, progressive city. Also happens to be the home of my beloved @Broncos
Sure would like to visit
BBC News – Denver votes to decriminalise magic mushrooms by razor-thin marginhttps://t.co/S5JPR1M65K— Daz Beels (@blobzombie) May 9, 2019
Number 4:
Denver: We're the coolest state…we legalized weed first
Also Denver: Hold my beer…#denver #LegalizeIt #mushrooms https://t.co/qnzYKFpB8c
— Ronald Quiroz (@ronald_dragonV1) May 9, 2019
Number 3:
Denver just decriminalized mushrooms just let me have my weed and I couldn’t care less
— Trey Deck (@JoeDNumberThree) May 8, 2019
Number 2:
What I’m trying to say is, Denver Tourism Board, hire me to write your magic mushroom marketing campaign. I promise it won’t include a single ‘Rocky Mountain High’ joke.
— Gennefer ‘Stands with the WGA’ Gross (@Gennefer) May 9, 2019
Number 1:
Oh shit Denver legalized mushrooms. It begins.
— oli (@oliharding) May 9, 2019
