Amid Pandemic Overdose Surge, Oregon Decriminalizes All Hard Drugs thefederalist.com

In the midst of an opioid addiction crisis that has worsened dramatically, with drug overdoses spiking by about 18 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic, Oregon has moved to decriminalize the possession of all drugs, including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, oxycodone, and others. Now, residents in the state will be forced to deal with the consequences of the radical policy.

Prior to Measure 110, which initially passed on Nov. 3 with over 58 percent approval but went into effect on Monday, possession of Schedule I-IV classified drugs landed offenders with a Class A misdemeanor. Now while people who sell illicit substances will still face criminal penalties, the same consequences will not apply to the actual consumers. Users will now face a $100 slap on the wrist as well as a “health assessment” for addiction treatment services. Essentially, being caught with fatal narcotics in Oregon is now equivalent to a routine traffic ticket…

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