Oregon lawmakers now want to recriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs after facing rampant public drug use
Oregon lawmakers are moving to recriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs after experiencing rampant drug use in public and more than tripling the number of overdose deaths.
“It’s a path to compromise, but it’s also the best policy we can come up with to ensure we continue to keep communities safe and save lives,” said Sen. Kate Lieber, a Democrat and one of the bill’s authors.
The state in 2020 became the first in the country to decriminalize possession of all drugs, including heroin and cocaine.
But residents have since demanded politicians take action against the open-air drug markets that have surfaced and fueled a homelessness crisis. Oregon has struggled to cope with the crisis as photos and videos show tent cities and rampant public drug use.
Opioid deaths in Oregon have more than tripled, from 280 before drug decriminalization was passed to 955 in 2022.
Oregon lawmakers are moving to recriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs after experiencing rampant drug use in public and more than tripling the number of overdose deaths
The state became the first in the country to decriminalize possession of all drugs, including heroin and cocaine, in 2020
Democratic lawmakers in Oregon unveiled a sweeping new bill Tuesday that would recriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs as a low-level felony. Pictured: State Senator Kate Lieber, one of the authors
The sweeping new bill will recriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs as a low-level crime.
The proposal would allow police to confiscate them and crack down on their use on sidewalks and in parks, the authors said.
The details of the measure have yet to be finalized, but possession of illegal drugs for “personal use” would become a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a $1,250 fine. It would not affect the legalization of cannabis and psychedelic mushrooms in Oregon.
That’s in stark contrast to how voters felt in 2020 when they passed the landmark decriminalization bill, Measure 110, with 58 percent support.
Democratic lawmakers who championed the measure as a way to treat addiction as a public health issue and not a crime are now grappling with one of the largest spikes in overdose deaths in the country, with pressure mounting from Republicans and calls from a well-funded campaign group for action are increasing. revision of it.
The latest bill, unveiled by Lieber and other Democrats serving on a newly created committee on addiction, will be introduced during the legislative session that begins in February.
Parliament adjourned over the summer, but concerns about the state’s drug crisis led Democrats to create the commission between sessions.
Since September, the committee has held multiple hearings and heard testimony from law enforcement and substance abuse experts on the law’s performance and shortcomings.
Measure 110 focused the state’s cannabis tax revenue on drug addiction treatment, while decriminalizing the amount of illegal drugs for “personal use.”
For example, possession of less than a gram of heroin only carries a ticket and a fine of up to $100.
Opioid deaths in Oregon have risen from 280, before decriminalization was passed, to a whopping 955 deaths in 2022.
Oregon’s opioid-related deaths have more than tripled, while national reports have doubled, indicating the West Coast state is facing a much more serious battle with drugs
Residents have demanded politicians take action against open-air drug markets that have surfaced and fueled a homelessness crisis
Under Measure 110, those caught with small amounts of money can have charges dropped by calling a 24-hour hotline to complete an addiction screening within 45 days, but those who don’t screen will not be penalized for not paying the fine.
In the year after the law took effect in February 2021, only 1 percent of people receiving possession tickets sought help through the hotline, state auditors found.
As of last June, the hotline received an average of 10 calls per month related to citations.
Opponents of the law say it has not created an incentive to seek treatment, a criticism the new bill aims to address.
Under the new bill, those arrested for small amounts of money would be referred by police to a peer support specialist to schedule an assessment or intervention.
If the person shows up at the meeting, you will not be charged. If this is not the case, the crime can be referred to the Public Prosecution Service.
If charges are filed, they can avoid jail by agreeing to certain probation conditions, or by agreeing to have their cases referred to drug court, where judges place people in treatment programs instead of jail.
“We’re trying to give people off-ramps and at the same time introduce some accountability into the system,” Lieber said.
Republican lawmakers said the proposed bill did not go far enough. They called for mandatory treatment and possession for “personal use” as a higher-level misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in prison or a $6,250 fine.
“A low-level, class C misdemeanor only offers 30 days in jail as an alternative. This is not nearly the amount of time needed to address addiction,” Rep. Kevin Mannix said in a statement.
The new bill would allow police to confiscate them and crack down on their use on sidewalks and in parks, the authors said.
The details of the measure have yet to be finalized, but possession of illegal drugs for “personal use” would become a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a $1,250 fine
The liberal city of Portland was once vibrant and thriving, but, like many other cities, has turned into a tent-covered abyss with rising crime, endemic drug abuse and maniacal behavior.
Advocacy groups that supported Oregon’s decriminalization law are opposing the proposal to make possession for “personal use” a crime again.
‘You don’t need a criminal sanction. You need services, and you need to make sure you invest in those services,” said Tera Hurst, executive director of the Health Justice Recovery Alliance.
“Criminalization is not an effective tool for getting people into treatment, and it does more harm than good.”
The bill also aims to expand access to treatment, especially medications used to treat opioid addiction. It would allow doctors to prescribe such drugs without prior approval or review from insurance companies, and make it easier for pharmacists to refill prescriptions in certain emergency situations.
In addition, it would expand fair housing standards to prevent people prescribed such medications from being discriminated against in maintaining or gaining access to long-term housing services, such as permanent supportive housing for people emerging from homelessness.
Lawmakers have just 35 days to pass the bill once the legislative session begins on February 5.