Restarting the Drug War

-

 

 


In 2020, Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize possession of small amount of drugs in the form of Measure 110. Measure 110, also known as the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act, also established a drug addiction treatment and recovery program using funds using Oregon's marijuana tax and money saved from reducing people sent to prison.

As years passed with Measure 110, many have come to realize that decriminalization possession of drugs may have not been such a great idea or very effective. Measure 110 had passed with the support of 58% of Oregon voters. In 2023, Emerson College Polling conducted a survey showing more than 56% of Oregonians supporting a total repeal of Measure 110. 

When Measure 110 was implemented, many service providers were not ready to respond or take responsibility as the change happened so suddenly overnight. At the same time drugs were decriminalized, fentanyl and many highly addictive drugs also took a dramatic drop in price, making it easy to obtain, putting the state in need of rehab services.

As of 2024, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek will sign a bill to re-criminalize drugs such as fentanyl and cocaine as a criminal offense again. The votes were not close at all, with the state house approving the bill 51 to 7 and Senate 21 to 8. Measure 110 now stands as a cautionary tale of failure to match policy reform with competent administration.

If you would like to know what really happened in-depth of Oregon's Measure 110, the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) has made a fact sheet on February 2024 that summarizes both the positive and negatives:

https://drugpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/DPA-WhatReallyHappenedM110.pdf


Sources cited and further articles for reading:

Drug Policy Alliance (2024, February 28). Oregon's Measure 110: What Really Happened. Drug Policy Alliance. https://drugpolicy.org/resource/oregons-measure-110-what-really-happened/

Campbell, J., Shelton, S., & Iyer, K. (2024, March 8). Oregon governor to sign bill re-criminalizing possession of certain drugs into law. CNN Politics. https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/08/politics/oregon-drug-laws-recriminalization/index.html

Wilson, C. (2024, March 8). Oregon governor will sign bill to recriminalize drugs, expand treatment. OPB. https://www.opb.org/article/2024/03/08/oregon-governor-tina-kotek-bill-ending-drug-decriminalization-expand-treatment/

Dickinson, T. (2024, March 8). Oregon Is Ready to Restart the Drug War. RollingStone. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/oregon-drug-war-decriminalization-1234982783/

Lehmann, B. (2024, February 4). Measure 110 and the Drug Addiction Crisis. The Cardinal Times. https://cardinaltimes.org/22719/news/measure-110-and-the-drug-addiction-crisis/

Levinson, J. (2023, June 27). Measure 110 forced Oregon to build a new drug addiction services model. Here’s how that’s going. OPB. https://www.opb.org/article/2023/06/27/oregon-measure-110-drug-addiction-treatment-model-changes-from-jail-time/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding Homelessness

-
Image
  Source (American Addiction Centers)      Homelessness has a myriad of different reasons it can happen. The similarity between all scenarios in which a person is experiencing homelessness is that each person is human. A popular belief is that homelessness is a choice. People believe there is a set amount of circumstances that cause homelessness and that it is a choice not to fight to get out of those problems. The problems can range from mental health issues to drug addiction. There is no one size fits all, and it is not a choice.  Over the last few weeks, I have learned that there are many factors that can lead to homelessness. One big one that focuses on our class is how affordable housing, or the lack thereof, is a significant contributor to people not getting back on their feet. If you want to learn more about that subject and if affordable housing can help, click here.   This lack of affordable housing is a big roadblock for those trying to overcome homelessness. However,
Read more

Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community

-
Image
  Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community Source: Unsplash The Facts                                                                                          According to  Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 233,832 are people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the United States. Of the 233,832, 50,767 are families with children.  Currently, 30% of homeless people are adult women.  (portlandoregon.gov)   Bradley Angle , which works to support survivors of  domestic violence , reported that 70% of domestic violence reports are from homeless women. ( www.kgw.com)  Homeless women are 1/3 of the fastest growing populations HUD homeless populations. ( portlandoregon.gov)   Specifically, in Portland, Multnomah County has experienced a 20% rise in homelessness in 2023, the total amount of people homeless in Portland is currently  6,297 . (w illametteweek.com)                                                                     Source: Unsplash   The Problem        
Read more

Helping Fuel a Better Future

-
Image
Feeding the Homeless in Portland, Oregon. Back in 2011 ' Occupy Portland' set up over 300 tents to house,   feed, and check on some of the city's homelessness population . Today, tri-county officials have reported that there are more than 7,000 homeless people living within the Portland City metro area and that number only seems to be increasing. Not only do these people have to worry about not having a stable shelter but one of the biggest issues for them is their lack of food and water. Every single day these individuals wonder about what their next meal will be and where it will come from. Although this blog post is focusing on the homeless populations in Portland it's important to know that Feeding America has stated over 400,000 people in the whole state of Oregon have reported 'hungry'. That is equivalent to 1 in 10 people, so the resources I will mention below are not only for the homeless but anyone who feels they may be in need as well.  Never be afraid
Read more