Oregon, My Oregon

 From WaEx, Oregon residents increasingly support repealing decriminalization of drugs: Poll

A majority of Oregon residents support repealing a law that decriminalized hard drugs within the state, a reversal of the position's passage after three years.

A poll commissioned by the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions surveyed registered Oregon voters to measure public attitudes toward Measure 110, a voter-passed measure in 2020 that decriminalized the possession of hard drugs in favor of expanding addiction treatment options as funded by the state's cannabis tax.

Measure 110 decriminalized small amounts of drugs such as heroin and other street drugs shortly before fentanyl burst onto the scene as a highly addictive and dangerous synthetic opiate alternative. Fifty-six percent of respondents said that they wanted to see Measure 110 repealed completely, while 45% said the measure should be left as is.

Voters also supported repealing parts of the measure to bring back penalties for possessing small amounts of drugs.

The measure has reportedly had adverse effects on the community, according to respondents. Fifty-four percent of respondents claimed that it increased homelessness in their communities, while 50% said it decreased safety in their communities.

One piece of the legislation designed to alleviate the knock-on effects of drug use was a small $100 fine for violations or an opportunity to have the citation dismissed if someone called a state hotline to help them get screened for substance abuse treatment. However, since the law went into effect in February 2021, 5,540 violations for possession have been filed, and most of the people who have been cited have either ignored the fine or failed to call the hotline.

Measure 110 was approved by voters in the 2020 elections with 58% of the vote. A number of drug policy reform advocates, including the Drug Policy Alliance, supported the measure. They argued the legislation would help those afflicted with addiction to get actual help rather than penalize them unnecessarily.

The greatest concentration of support for the measure came from voters in and around Portland from the state's 1st Congressional District. On the other side of the vote, residents of Oregon's rural and far more conservative 2nd Congressional District were the biggest opponents of the initial measure.

Drug legalization sounds like a good idea, until you actually try it.

So it only took 3 years to see the error of their ways? That's encouraging/