The state of Oregon's pioneering attempt to decriminalize hard drugs has been officially declared a failure, with data from the state's judicial department painting a grim picture of the impact of Measure 110.
The initiative, which was in effect for three years, saw only 85 individuals issued with citations seeking addiction assessment, while thousands tragically lost their lives to overdoses.
In a groundbreaking move, Oregon became the first state in the United States to decriminalize the possession of hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and LSD. This was made possible through the approval of Ballot Measure 110 in November 2020. The law, which came into effect on February 1, 2021, transformed the possession of hard drugs from a criminal misdemeanor to a Class E misdemeanor, attracting a citation of up to $100, akin to receiving a traffic ticket, according to The Post Millennial.
Measure 110 provided those found in possession of illegal drugs with two options: either pay a $100 fine through the court system or have their citation waived by calling a substance abuse helpline. The progressive lawmakers behind the measure had planned to use revenue from cannabis tax to fund the state's treatment system, a plan that was expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars. However, the data indicates that very few individuals either paid the fine or utilized the helpline.
In a dramatic turn of events, state lawmakers voted in March to recriminalize drug possession following the disastrous consequences of decriminalization, which included rampant open-air drug use and a significant spike in overdose deaths. While Oregon legislators initially championed the measure as a novel approach to addiction, the reality of decriminalization proved to be a harsh lesson.
Data released by the Oregon Judicial Department, covering the period from February 2021 to August 2024, and published by the Oregonian, revealed that of the $899,413 in fines issued under the measure across all circuit courts, the state collected a mere $78,143.
Under Measure 110, 7,227 individuals were cited statewide, with 89 percent of them being convicted. However, the majority of these convictions were due to individuals failing to appear in court. Of the total number of people cited, only 85 completed their substance abuse screening through the helpline, a requirement for having the citation dropped.
The report also provided a breakdown of the citations: 54 percent were for methamphetamine, 31 percent for fentanyl and other Schedule II drugs, 7 percent for heroin, 3 percent for oxycodone, and 1 percent for cocaine.
In Multnomah County, home to Portland, the state's largest city grappling with drug abuse, police issued 1,917 Measure 110 citations. The conviction rate stood at 93 percent, largely due to failure to appear in court. A paltry 16 individuals in the county reached out to the helpline to complete the substance abuse screening.
The Medford Police Department issued the most citations (2,036), with 1,236 linked to methamphetamine. Other law enforcement agencies, including the Oregon State Police, the Grants Pass Police Department, and the Portland Police Bureau, issued 1,756, 1,642, and 1,332 citations respectively.
The devastating impact of the decriminalization experiment is further underscored by the fact that between 2021, when the bill took effect, and 2023, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 3,086 people died from opioid overdoses. The Oregon Health Authority has noted that the number of opioid overdose visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers in 2024 are on par with 2023 figures.
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