Entheogens, Decriminalization, and the Forest

Colorado understands informed risk. We hike fourteeners, ski backcountry, camp in remote places, and accept that nature is powerful and not safe in the way malls are safe. The point isn’t danger for its own sake. The point is responsibility, preparation, and respect for the terrain.

The regulated entheogen model treats this very differently.

It’s like fencing off a national forest and saying, “We’ve trained gatekeepers to open the gate for you, for a fee.” Once inside, you’re on your own. The guides don’t go with you. They don’t know the terrain. They’ve never walked it themselves.

Meanwhile, scientists and regulators stand outside the gate. They send people in, then measure heart rate, mood, and brain activity when they come back. They have no idea what actually happens inside the forest, yet they decide who gets access, how much preparation is “enough,” and who is “qualified.”

That’s not wisdom. That’s negligence.

Decriminalization works because it removes the fence and restores responsibility. People who choose to enter do so with intention, community knowledge, and respect for the experience. Those with lived experience help others prepare, not by selling access, but by sharing the map while being honest that the terrain must be walked alone.

Coloradans get this. We don’t outsource wilderness competence to corporations. We don’t pretend nature is safe by paperwork. We learn, we prepare, and we take responsibility for our choices.

Entheogens deserve the same respect.