Will Other States Adopt Oregon Drug Decriminalization?
Opponents of decriminalization warn that it will increase drug crime rates and encourage drug use, but supporters say to give it time.
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Progressive lawmakers and civil rights groups want more states to follow Oregon’s recent example and drop criminal penalties for carrying small amounts of heroin, cocaine or other drugs, and to spend more money on addiction recovery services because substance use disorder should be treated as a disease, rather than as a crime, reports Pew Stateline. Democratic lawmakers in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont all proposed decriminalization bills this year. Advocacy groups hope to get a decriminalization measure on the ballot in Washington in 2022 and in California in 2024.
Critics of decriminalization say such policies could decrease access to treatment, because fewer low-level offenders will be pushed into court-ordered programs. Supporters of the Oregon law, approved in 2020 through a ballot initiative known as Measure 110, say it’ll take time to implement such a large shift in policy, and are urging their critics to be patient. The law will use marijuana tax revenue—plus any criminal justice money saved through decriminalization—to fund organizations that help people seek and maintain sobriety. Those services could include peer support groups and transitional housing programs. Such organizations will get about $300 million over the next two years. Advocates say decriminalization will advance racial equity, reduce the stigma of addiction and spare people from criminal records that can prevent them from getting jobs and housing. Opponents, including some law enforcement groups, argue that decriminalization will encourage people to use dangerous drugs, lead to a rise in other drug-related crime and make it harder to force people to get sober.
