Mixed results for Oregon’s pioneering drug decriminalization

By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — There are mixed results so far from Oregon’s pioneering drug decriminalization law. In 2020, Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize possession of small amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, LSD, oxycodone and other drugs. Instead of being a felony or a misdemeanor, the voter-approved law now means possession is like a speeding ticket, carrying a maximum $100 fine. The fine can be waived by calling for a health assessment. But out of roughly 2,000 citations for drug possession issued by police, only 92 of the people who received them called the hotline by mid-February.