Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero appointed to state natural medicine oversight committee

Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero is one of 15 people appointed by Governor Jared Polis to a board that will oversee the implementation of regulating natural medicine after voters narrowly approved decriminalizing psilocybin in November.

But Lucero isn’t allowed to talk about his appointment to the board, which still needs to be confirmed by the state Senate.

An interview request with the public information officer with the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, Gayle Perez, was referred to Polis’ office.

Polis spokesperson Conor Cahill declined the Chieftain’s interview request with Lucero.

“These individuals have not yet been confirmed by the state senate and to ensure the integrity of any boards and commissions we do not normally conduct interviews with appointed board members,” Cahill told the Chieftain in an email.

Colorado voters approved Proposition 122 in November, which decriminalizes psilocybin and will eventually allow state-regulated centers to administer psychedelics under professional supervision.

The ballot question created the natural medicine advisory board, with 15 people appointed by the governor. The board is tasked with making recommendations to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) on how to implement decriminalizing psilocybin, including regulating therapeutic usage.

Lucero was one of 225 people who applied to the board. He appears to be the only person appointed to the board actively working in law enforcement.

Lucero was appointed because of his experience with previous criminal justice reform, according to a Jan. 27 release from the governor’s office. His term will expire on Jan. 31, 2027.

The Chieftain obtained Lucero’s application to the board through an open records request. He wrote two sentences in the portion of the application for why he should be chosen.

“I have been a law enforcement officer for the past 23 years. I want to ensure that the implementation of natural medicines in Colorado is safe for the public,” Lucero wrote.

Members serving on DORA boards are instructed to refer media requests to the “program director,” according to the board member code of ethics, also obtained by the Chieftain through an open records request.

Psilocybin is the psychoactive component of “magic mushrooms.” The federal government still classifies the drug as a Schedule I controlled substance with no pharmaceutical benefit, but research has shown that guided therapy can help people experiencing depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Oregon first decriminalized psilocybin in 2020. Denver’s 5280 Magazine reported that Oregon’s oversight board appointees “have conducted numerous interviews with journalists.”

Buying, selling and possessing psilocybin is still illegal under Colorado law, but law enforcement officers now are instructed to treat such cases as the lowest priority.

Many criminal charges for people with prior convictions for possession of psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs were also dropped.

Although the measure eked out a statewide majority, over half of Pueblo County voters voted against Proposition 122.

The city of Denver decriminalized magic mushrooms in 2019. A review panel, which included the Denver District Attorney, agreed in 2021 that the policy change “has not since presented any significant public health or safety risk in the city,” the Denver Post reported.

Proposition 122 states that local governments will not have the authority to ban natural medicine centers, but can regulate the “time, place, and manner” of the facilities.

The Colorado Municipal League, an organization representing most Colorado cities and towns, is advocating for potential legislation to give local governments more oversight, CML Executive Director Kevin Bommer told Pueblo City Council at a work session on Feb. 23.

Lucero has been active on several other local and state boards, according to his campaign website. Polis also recently appointed him to the Peace Officers Standards and Training Board, he announced in a Feb. 28 news release, to replace the Alamosa County sheriff who resigned from the position.

Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics for the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com or on Twitter, @annalynnfrey.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo sheriff Lucero appointed to natural medicine oversight committee