Oregon Ends Drug Decriminalization Experiment

Oregon's pioneering attempt at drug decriminalization concludes on Sunday, as possession of small amounts of hard drugs will again be criminalized. The Democratic legislature's new law, supported by Republicans, overturns the 2020 measure that penalized possession of drugs like heroin with a ticket and fine. The new legislation makes personal use possession a misdemeanor that can result in a jail sentence of up to six months. The intent is to help police tackle public drug use; it also institutes harsher penalties for selling drugs near parks.

The revised law creates options for treatment instead of criminal penalties but only encourages, not mandates, counties to establish such programs. This flexibility could result in inconsistent policies across counties. As of now, 28 out of Oregon's 36 counties have applied for grants to fund these initiatives. The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission plans to distribute over $20 million in grants in the coming year. Multnomah County, including Portland, will open a temporary center in October for police to bring people who weren't committing any crime other than drug possession. "The criteria is very narrow to meet deflection: no other charges, no warrants, no violent behavior, medically stable," said Portland Police Chief Bob Day. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)