By Ramone Tarnaski

In the last five months, a significant number of D.C. voters have changed their minds about drug policy. The poll results released on September 2 by the Campaign to Decriminalize Nature in DC show that nearly two-thirds (67%) of District of Columbia voters support a proposal to decriminalize medicines derived from plants and fungi for recreational use in Washington, DC.

The poll, sponsored by the New Approach PAC and conducted by polling firm FM3 Research, surveyed 1,000 D.C. voters by telephone from August 31 to September 2. The results mean that support will increase by 9% between April 2020 and October 2020 and by 6% in November 2020.

Decriminalizing Nature in DC attributes its growing support to focusing on education and outreach to D.C. voters about the benefits of herbal medicine. Communications director Erin Dunne told Lucid News: "We've spent a lot of time over the last few weeks educating voters about the benefits of herbs and medicine and explaining what Initiative 81 would do and why it's important to change the police's priorities on herbal medicines. The survey shows that people know about it, but are not as aware of it as they used to be, Dunne said.

In April, Decision Nature in DC collected nearly 25,500 signatures from registered voters in DC to put Initiative 81 on the ballot in November. Three times as many voters have seen, heard or at least read it, "the press release said. Looking at the poll results and the number of voters who favor decriminalizing herbal medicine, it's hard to argue with the overwhelming support for a measure that D.C. residents face.

When voters were given a clear language explanation of the ballot initiative, support grew to 64%, up from 37% in April.

The war on drugs is already deeply unpopular among D.C. residents, with 34% to 55% disapproving in August, according to Views on Initiative 81. When it's clear that we're just trying to reduce the risk of arrest while people heal themselves, "we tend to support that," Dunne said.

According to a recent study, Initiative 81 has proved enormously effective in other cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

According to Ballotpedia, she has not met any organized, financed political opposition. By connecting voters through education and grassroots action, we know we can persuade more people to vote for Initiative 81. Nature DC plans to use the $150,000 raised this fall through grassroots and mass education programs, including leaflets and mailings, to attract more voters. We're running a different kind of campaign to support them, "Dunne said.