You're Not High - DC May Vote on Psychedelics February 7, 2020
This week, the DC Board of Elections agreed to allow District voters to consider a proposal that would reclassify psychedelic plants and fungi to lessen the penalties for possession. The ballot measure would go before voters during the November election.
Per District law, the proposal must gather 25,000 signatures by July 1 to be officially placed on the ballot. The DC BOE ruling was simply that the initiative was appropriate for a ballot initiative. The formal language will also be published in the DC Register.
If voters approved the initiative, plants or fungus that contain ibogaine, mescaline, or psilocybin, among other hallucinogens, would not be legalized but lower the enforcement priority. This is part of an effort nationwide for some states and cities to lessen penalties on use and possession.
The use of psychedelics as a medical treatment have some limited medical support but lacks robust definitive study. MSDC and its partners will be watching carefully if the ballot initiative is approved.
Per District law, the proposal must gather 25,000 signatures by July 1 to be officially placed on the ballot. The DC BOE ruling was simply that the initiative was appropriate for a ballot initiative. The formal language will also be published in the DC Register.
If voters approved the initiative, plants or fungus that contain ibogaine, mescaline, or psilocybin, among other hallucinogens, would not be legalized but lower the enforcement priority. This is part of an effort nationwide for some states and cities to lessen penalties on use and possession.
The use of psychedelics as a medical treatment have some limited medical support but lacks robust definitive study. MSDC and its partners will be watching carefully if the ballot initiative is approved.