Rick Stewart, a candidate for Iowa governor, pauses campaign after magic mushroom protest arrest

Libertarian Rick Stewart has temporarily suspended his gubernatorial campaign after his arrest at a Washington protest calling for the medical use of psilocybin, a hallucinogenic drug.

Stewart was part of a small protest at the Drug Enforcement Agency headquarters last week. A group of activists demanded to speak with an agency official about the right to use psilocybin — also known as magic mushrooms — as an experimental treatment for terminal illnesses.

Stewart said the protest was not violent, but the group set off a "harmless" smoke bomb, plastered posters to the windows of the building and gathered outside the agency's doors.

Agency officials refused to meet with the group, The Hill reported, and they called federal police to the scene.

"Eventually, the police gave three warnings and then they arrested everybody," Stewart said. He was charged with trespassing and released.

More: Kim Reynolds has 13 times more cash on hand than Democratic competitor Deidre DeJear

Upon his return to Iowa, Stewart paused his gubernatorial campaign. He said he will spend the next few weeks talking to Iowans about whether his arrest in the nation's capital is a deal-breaker for his candidacy.

"I want to find out if everybody in Iowa thinks that this disqualifies me for being an effective governor who fights against the drug war, then I probably will listen very closely to what people say," he said.

Stewart said he would support the legalization of all drugs, if elected.

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"We just need to learn to live with them, and in the case of tobacco and alcohol, of course, we limit the sale of them to people that are either over 18 or over 21," Stewart said. “We should do the same thing with every other drug."

The Libertarian Party of Iowa announced Thursday that it "completely supports the decision" to suspend the campaign temporarily.

"Iowans deserve the right to make decisions about their own healthcare," Libertarian Party chair Jules Ofenbakh said in a statement. "Our candidate is showing the ridiculousness of the system."

Previously: Rick Stewart, Iowa Libertarian candidate for governor, wants to 'Make Iowa Nice Again'

Stewart will return to Washington in August for his court date, according to a campaign official.

Meanwhile, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is expected to face Democrat Deidre DeJear in the fall election.

Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com or at 410-340-3440. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa governor candidate Rick Stewart pauses campaign after D.C. arrest