Decriminalize Nature DC
Passed DC Initiative 81 by ballot — making entheogenic plants the lowest law enforcement priority in the nation's capital.
Type: Decriminalization Org
Location: Washington, DC
Membership: Open advocacy organization
Venues: DC
Activities: Ballot petition organizing — Initiative 81 collected 35,000+ signatures and passed (lowest enforcement priority for entheogenic plants).
About
Decriminalize Nature DC led the Initiative 81 campaign that passed by ballot, making entheogenic plants the lowest enforcement priority in the nation's capital. The campaign collected 35,000+ signatures. Key figures include Melissa Lavasani (founder), Daniel Conner (co-organizer), and event leaders Dana Beal and Aton Edwards.
Operating in the nation's capital gives DC's movement outsized symbolic importance. The 2025 closure of Temple of Golden Teacher by ABCA suggests ongoing regulatory tensions in DC despite the policy win.
Why It Matters
Decriminalization in the nation's capital — even at the symbolic 'lowest enforcement priority' level — reframes the federal conversation. Lavasani's narrative leadership (suburban mother, postpartum depression) made DC's case politically uniquely effective.
Key People
State Legal Context
See current psilocybin laws in Dc.