Complete list of US cities and counties that decriminalized psilocybin and entheogenic plants — Denver, Oakland, DC, Detroit, Seattle, and 20+ more.
Cities that decriminalized psilocybin have passed resolutions telling local police to deprioritize enforcement. Most resolutions name psilocybin specifically. Many also cover other "entheogenic plants," meaning ayahuasca, mescaline-containing cacti, and ibogaine.
These resolutions do not legalize psilocybin. They do not create dispensaries, retreats, or any legal way to buy mushrooms. Federal law still classifies psilocybin as Schedule I. State law in most of these cities also keeps psilocybin illegal.
What changes is enforcement priority. Local police are told to focus on other drug crimes. Possession arrests drop sharply. But possession is still technically illegal, and state troopers or federal agents can still enforce the law.
Commercial sale is almost never covered. Selling psilocybin remains a serious felony in every city on this list.
Cities that decriminalized psilocybin span 12 states. The table below shows each city with the date, the form of action, and which substances are covered.
| City / County | State | Date | Form | Substances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | Colorado | May 2019 | Ballot (Initiative 301) | Psilocybin |
| Oakland | California | Jun 2019 | Council | All entheogens |
| Santa Cruz | California | Jan 2020 | Council | Psilocybin + entheogens |
| Ann Arbor | Michigan | Sep 2020 | Council | Entheogenic plants |
| Washington, D.C. | DC | Mar 2021 | Ballot (Initiative 81) | Psilocybin, ayahuasca, mescaline |
| Somerville | Massachusetts | Jan 2021 | Council | Entheogens + ibogaine |
| Cambridge | Massachusetts | Feb 2021 | Council | Entheogens |
| Northampton | Massachusetts | Mar 2021 | Council | Entheogens |
| Washtenaw County | Michigan | Jan 2021 | Prosecutor | Natural psychedelics |
| Arcata | California | Oct 2021 | Council | Entheogenic plants |
| Seattle | Washington | Oct 2021 | Council | Psilocybin and similar |
| Easthampton | Massachusetts | Oct 2021 | Council | Entheogens |
| Port Townsend | Washington | Dec 2021 | Council | Entheogenic plants |
| Detroit | Michigan | Nov 2021 | Ballot (Proposal E, 61%) | Entheogenic plants |
| Hazel Park | Michigan | Mar 2022 | Council | Natural psychedelics |
| Amherst | Massachusetts | Jul 2022 | Council | Entheogenic plants |
| San Francisco | California | Sep 2022 | Supervisors | Entheogenic plants |
| Ferndale | Michigan | Feb 2023 | Council | Entheogens |
| Salem | Massachusetts | May 2023 | Council | Psilocybin |
| Jefferson County | Washington | May 2023 | Council | Entheogens |
| Berkeley | California | Jul 2023 | Council | Entheogens |
| Minneapolis | Minnesota | Jul 2023 | Mayoral order | Entheogens |
| Portland | Maine | Oct 2023 | Council | Psychedelic plants and fungi |
| Eureka | California | Oct 2023 | Council | Entheogens |
| Provincetown | Massachusetts | Dec 2023 | Council | Plant medicines |
| Ypsilanti | Michigan | Jan 2024 | Council | Psychedelics |
| Medford | Massachusetts | Feb 2024 | Council | Psychedelics |
| Olympia | Washington | Aug 2024 | Council | Plant-based hallucinogens |
| Tacoma | Washington | Jan 2025 | Council | Natural psychedelics |
| King County | Washington | Mar 2026 | Council | Psychedelics including psilocybin |
See our California legal status page for the full state picture, including SB 751.
See our Massachusetts legal status page for state-level context.
See our Michigan legal status page for the full state picture.
See our Washington legal status page.
These three terms get used loosely. They mean different things for what you can legally do.
| Term | What it means | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Decriminalization | Police told to deprioritize enforcement. Possession is still illegal — just rarely prosecuted locally. No legal way to buy. | 30+ US cities (this page). |
| Legalization (statewide) | State law permits possession. Federal law still applies. | Colorado (Prop 122 for natural psychedelics, 2022). |
| Regulated access | A licensed program where adults can legally use the drug in supervised settings. | Oregon (Measure 109 psilocybin service centers, 2023). Colorado healing centers, expected 2025+. |
If you want legal access to psilocybin in the US, the only options are Oregon's service centers or Colorado's coming healing centers. A decriminalized city does not have a legal supply.
The pace of city decriminalization has not slowed. The most active cluster in 2025–2026 is Washington state.
About 30 US cities and counties across 12 states have decriminalized psilocybin or all entheogenic plants. Massachusetts has the most (8 cities), followed by California (6), Michigan (6 plus Washtenaw County), and Washington (5 plus 2 counties). Denver was the first US city to decriminalize psilocybin, in May 2019.
Denver, Colorado, was the first US city to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms. Initiative 301 passed on May 7, 2019 with 50.6% voter approval. It directed Denver police to treat personal possession of psilocybin by adults 21+ as the lowest law enforcement priority.
No. City decriminalization tells local police to deprioritize enforcement — possession is still illegal under state and federal law. There is no legal way to buy psilocybin in any decriminalized city. State troopers and federal agents can still enforce drug laws. Only Oregon's Measure 109 service centers and Colorado's upcoming healing centers offer legal regulated access.
Massachusetts has the most cities, with 8 jurisdictions that have passed decriminalization measures: Somerville (2021), Cambridge (2021), Northampton (2021), Easthampton (2021), Amherst (2022), Salem (2023), Provincetown (2023), and Medford (2024). The state itself voted down Question 4 in 2024, but the city-level momentum has continued.
Detroit's Proposal E (November 2021) was the first ballot initiative in any US city to decriminalize entheogens. It passed with 61% voter approval and made personal possession and therapeutic use of entheogenic plants by adults the lowest law enforcement priority in Detroit. Commercial sale remains illegal under Michigan state law.
Decriminalization removes or reduces criminal penalties but does not create legal access. Possession is still technically illegal — just rarely prosecuted locally. Legalization means a state has set up a regulated program where adults can legally use the drug in licensed settings. Oregon and Colorado are legalized; Detroit, DC, Oakland, and the others are decriminalized only.
Cities pass new resolutions almost every quarter. We track each one on the policy calendar and email subscribers when a new measure passes.
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