FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Adam Eidinger
April 21, 2020 Ph: 202-744-2671 Press@DecrimNatureDC.org
Polling Shows Washington DC Voters Ready To Decriminalize Entheogens
New Data Indicates Initiative 81 Has The Voter Support To Pass In November
WASHINGTON, DC – According to new polling results released today by the Campaign to Decriminalize Nature DC (DNDC), Initiative 81, the “Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act of 2020,” has enough support to pass in the District of Columbia.
The poll sponsored by the New Approach PAC and conducted by the polling firm FM3 Research, clearly shows that a majority of DC voters support Initiative 81, a measure that would make enforcement of existing restrictions on entheogens among the Metropolitan Police Department’s lowest law enforcement priorities. Of those polled, 51% support the initiative based on the text of the measure alone. When presented with a plain-language explanation, that support grows to 60% and continues to increase and solidify as voters learn more.
Among the more than 800 likely DC voters reached by phone as part of this poll, prioritizing law enforcement’s role in reducing violent crime and protecting personal freedom were consistently cited as top reasons for supporting Initiative 81.
These results come as the DNDC faces unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Necessary social-distancing measures, including DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s stay-at-home order, have made traditional in-person petitioning and signature collection impossible. To preserve ballot access during this public health emergency, DNDC has requested that the DC Board of Elections and DC Council find alternatives to the in-person petition process. Time is running out for DNDC to qualify for the November ballot with 30,000 signatures needed by Monday, July 6th.
“This poll demonstrates the broad support for Initiative 81 in the District of Columbia and reaffirms the importance of putting the “Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act of 2020,” on the November ballot,” said Melissa Lavasani, the proposer of Initiative 81. “Despite the current public health crisis, DC voters have made clear that they are ready to change how DC approaches entheogens. Now our campaign must make sure that voters have the opportunity to do so.”
Please visit www.DecrimNatureDC.org to review the polling data, read the voter initiative, and learn more about this campaign.
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Please click here to download FM3’s memo “DC Voter Views of Initiative 81”
