Re-criminalizing is not the Answer: In November 2020, Oregon voters overwhelmingly passed measure 110. The law decriminalizes possession of small amounts of some controlled substances, including heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. As the first state in the US to decriminalize so-called “hard drugs,” Oregon’s new policy took a historic step toward treating drug use as a health issue rather than a criminal issue. The implementation has faced a series of daunting challenges, however, including a current campaign to overturn the law or to partially recriminalize drug use. In their Left & the Law segment this month, Jan Haaken and Mike Snedeker take up controversies over measure 110 and why decriminalization of drugs remains vital to the broader social justice movement.
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- KBOO