Oregon's pioneering venture into drug decriminalization is set to conclude as possessing small amounts of hard drugs will once again be deemed a criminal offense starting Sunday. The state legislature, led by Democrats, passed a law in March to reverse the measure approved by voters in 2020, which had decriminalized possession of illicit drugs like heroin, subjecting offenders to a ticket and a maximum $100 fine. The initial measure aimed to allocate cannabis tax revenue towards addiction services, but delays in fund distribution coincided with a surge in deadly overdoses due to the fentanyl crisis and challenges in establishing a new treatment system amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new law, supported by Republican lawmakers who had opposed decriminalization, reclassifies personal use possession as a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail. It seeks to empower law enforcement to address drug use in public spaces and imposes stricter penalties for drug sales near areas such as parks.
