Initiative 81

After the birth of her first child, proposer Melissa Lavasani fell into a deep depression and while she was able to persevere by relying on a daily routine, after her second child she began to develop chronic pain and severe postpartum depression. After listening to a Joe Rogan podcast that featured mycologist Paul Stamets, she learned that psilocybin could be used as anti-depressant to treat mental health. She ordered spores over the internet, began to grow them at home, and tried microdosing. She eventually went on to try ayahuasca in 2019 which she says, “it was like I was I turned out to be not only back to myself, but almost like a better version of myself.” and at the hearing the DC Board of Elections approved the ballot initiative's language. == Petition gathering ==

Due the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council of the District of Columbia changed the way political campaigns were allowed to collect signatures to achieve ballot access. For the first time, voters were able to submit completed petitions through the mail or electronically. Between May and July, approximately 60 days, the campaign collected more than 36,000 signatures from voters. On August 5, 2020, the DC Board of Elections verified that 25,477 signatures, 642 more than what was legally required, were properly submitted, which placed the initiative on the general election ballot. == Opposition in Congress ==

The initiative was opposed by Maryland Congressman Andy Harris, who vowed to force a House Appropriations Committee vote to take it off the ballot. He later filed an amendment to make the law only apply to medically prescribed psilocybin, but withdrew it. == Election ==

{{Referendum Source: DC Board of Elections == Completion ==

The congressional review period ended at 12:01 a.m. on March 16, 2021. The measure makes the enforcement of drug laws against psilocybin mushrooms and psychedelic plants like cacti, iboga, and naturally occurring DMT, found in preparations like ayahuasca, to be among the Metropolitan Police Department's lowest priorities. The measure also calls upon Attorney General for the District of Columbia and the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia to cease prosecution of residents of the District of Columbia for activities associated with those natural plant medicines. == See also ==