The infamous natural drug is now slightly less illegal in Denver.

Today, the City of Denver will certify the results from last week’s election. One of those issues that nearly had a split vote is getting national attention: magic mushrooms are now officially decriminalized in Denver.

The moment the votes are certified today, Initiative 301 will take effect. This was opposed by almost 50 percent of Denver voters and did not have enthusiastic support from politicians. In short, that means advocates still have more work to do in the way of gaining more support and momentum for 301.

“Decriminalized” does not mean legal, but it does mean that Denver Police must treat this as their lowest law enforcement priority. Magic mushrooms are still a Schedule 1 narcotic and is still federally illegal. Denver Police will undergo new training as to how to handle these cases, but supporters are hopeful that a big education push will get more people supporting the initiative.

The Initiative 301 Campaign Director Kevin Matthews says, “we have a lot of work to do here in Denver. As we all know, nearly half of Denver voters did not support this. So it’s on our committee and our organization to make sure that 301 is implemented with fairness and equity.”

Another issue they’ll be working on is the fact that Denver’s next mayor and Denver City Council makeup are all up in the air. After last week’s election, five council seats are headed for a runoff. Advocates are working to make sure whoever is elected respects the will of the voters. Both mayoral candidates say they will respect that decision.

The runoff ballots will go out after today’s certification.