SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A invoice recriminalizing the possession of small quantities of medicine was handed by the Oregon Legislature on Friday, undoing a key a part of the state’s first-in-the-nation drug decriminalization law as governments wrestle to answer the deadliest overdose disaster in U.S. historical past.
The state Senate accredited Home Invoice 4002 in a 21-8 vote after the Home handed it 51-7 on Thursday. The invoice now heads to the desk of Gov. Tina Kotek, who mentioned in January that she is open to signing a invoice that will roll again decriminalization, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
“With this invoice, we’re doubling down on our dedication to ensure Oregonians have entry to the remedy and care that they want,” mentioned Democratic Senate Majority Chief Kate Lieber, of Portland, one of many invoice’s authors, including that its passage will “be the beginning of actual and transformative change for our justice system.”
The measure makes the possession of small quantities of medicine resembling heroin or methamphetamine a misdemeanor, punishable by as much as six months in jail. It allows police to confiscate the medication and crack down on their use on sidewalks and in parks. Drug remedy is to be provided as an alternative choice to legal penalties.
The invoice additionally goals to make it simpler to prosecute individuals who promote medication. It will increase entry to dependancy remedy, and to acquire and preserve housing with out going through discrimination for utilizing that remedy.
Decriminalization of personal-use quantities of medicine, OK’d by voters in 2020 underneath Poll Measure 110, was supposed to maneuver tons of of tens of millions of {dollars} of marijuana tax revenues into drug remedy and hurt discount packages. That didn’t translate into an improved care community for a state with the second-highest charge of substance use dysfunction within the nation and ranked fiftieth for entry to remedy, in keeping with an audit report released in 2023.
And with Oregon experiencing one of many nation’s largest spikes in overdose deaths, Republican stress intensified, and a well-funded marketing campaign group known as for a poll measure that will additional weaken Measure 110.
Researchers have mentioned it was too quickly to find out whether or not the regulation contributed to the overdose surge, and supporters of the decriminalization measure say the decadeslong method of arresting individuals for possessing and utilizing medication didn’t work.
Lawmakers who opposed the invoice voiced these considerations. Some known as it a return to the war on drugs that disproportionally impacted and imprisoned tens of millions of Black males.
Democratic Sen. Lew Frederick, of Portland, one in all 4 Black senators, mentioned the invoice had too many flaws and that testimony on the invoice heard many times was that substance use dysfunction requires primarily a medical response.
“I’m involved that it (the invoice) will try to make use of the identical techniques of the previous, and fail, solely to strengthen the punishment narrative that has failed for 50 years,” he mentioned, including that the measure may transfer extra individuals into the courtroom system with out making them more healthy.
