The city of Denver – a leader in the movement to legalize recreational marijuana – could achieve a new first, as residents prepare to vote Tuesday on a public referendum that would decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms. Psilocybin mushrooms have been banned by the federal government since 1970 due to their hallucinogenic effects, which have long been used by some cultures for religious purposes, according to The Washington Post. The public referendum to 'Decriminalize Denver' is a first in the U.S., though a similar idea was proposed in California last year but failed to get enough support to make it on the ballot. Supporters argue the substance has many benefits, particularly for people suffering from depression and other mental health issues. If approved, the law would instruct law enforcement to consider possession of the mushrooms 'the lowest law enforcement priority in the City and County of Denver,' while still maintaining the drug's illegal status. This file photo shows a cluster of psilocybin mushrooms, which have hallucinogenic affects when consumed by humans Mushrooms would not be available for purchase in Denver's many marijuana dispensaries, and dealers would still be facing felony charges if they were caught selling the drugs. Psilocybin mushrooms, like marijuana, are classified as a Schedule I drug at the federal level, meaning there is 'no currently accepted medical use and high potential for abuse.' That, coupled with users' descriptions of vivid, often beautiful and disorienting eight-hour hallucinations, could be an obstacle for supporters of the Denver Psilocybin Initiative. Mushrooms are what saved my life, from a lifetime of major depression. Using psilocybin ... brought me back from the depths of despair. -Kevin Matthews, Denver Psilocybin Initiative However, many argue that the substance has the potential to help with issues including: addiction, depression, chronic pain, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to The Post. The Food and Drug Administration has even granted 'breakthrough therapy' status to the substance for the treatment of depression. Psilocybin occurs naturally in some fungi and is not addictive. It is not possible to overdose on the drug, and research has indicated that it does not have long-term side effects. Kevin Matthews, the campaign manager for the initiative, told DailyMail.com that he was in the midst of depression when he tried psilocybin mushrooms for the first time. 'Mushrooms are what saved my life, from a lifetime of major depression,' he said. 'Using psilocybin just opened me up to a new perspective and cleared the fog and brought me back from the depths of despair.' 'I (had) felt negative and alone, (with) a lot of negative self-talk, and that changed almost overnight for me,' he added. 'The benefits lasted weeks and weeks and weeks afterward. It helped me get a handle on my life so I could create healthier habits.' Organizers have raised about $45,000 for advertising and promotion of their cause, he told The Post. However, law enforcement officials may not be convinced. Denver police declined to comment to The Post, and Denver District Attorney Beth McCann told the paper she doesn't think it's 'a good idea.' 'We're still figuring out marijuana, and even though things are going well so far, we're still measuring the impacts on the people of Denver,' McCann said. Since legalization of recreational cannabis, McCann said the city has not seen a rise in violent crime – but more young people and children have been showing up in hospitals after consuming marijuana. McCann said she wanted to see more research on benefits and side effects of the drug, and worries deprioritizing the drug among law enforcement could make Denver a magnet that attracts all kinds of drug users. This file photo shows downtown Denver, Colorado - a city considering decriminalization of hallucinogenic mushrooms A spokeswoman for McCann's office told DailyMail.com that the Denver DA's office filed more than 9,200 drug cases from 2016-2018, of which 11 involved psilocybin. Of those 11, three cases involved possession with intent to manufacture or distribute psilocybin. The spokeswoman noted that McCann does support the provision of the initiative that would create a committee to study the effects of use and impacts of the proposal's passage. 'Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population,' according to a 2015 paper from the University of Alabama. Separate research papers published by the Imperial College London found psilocybin had positive effects on depression. Additionally, researchers at Johns Hopkins University in 2006 studied 36 people who took high doses of psilocybin and then relaxed a couch and listened to classical music for eight hours. '67 percent of the volunteers,' the Hopkins study found, 'rated the experience with psilocybin to be either the single most meaningful experience of his or her life or among the top five most meaningful experiences of his or her life … to be similar, for example, to the birth of a first child or death of a parent.' However, '31 percent of the group … experienced significant fear,' study authors wrote.All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility