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Ballot Measure 110 will face the voters this November. It would decriminalize everything (controlled substances), much as they have done In Portugal.
The Portuguese experiment has been largely successful, at least last I looked. Oregon's move would be somewhat limited by comparison. They are not strictly legalizing stuff, the way they did with cannabis + retail. Making and dealing would still be crimes, just as they are in Portugal. If you were found to have a personal amount of cocaine or heroin or LSD, you would get a small fine and be directed to seek treatment instead of being sent to prison.
We have wasted a lot of money and violence on this "drug war". Drugs appear to have won. It is time we face up to that and look for alternatives. It is worth noting that Oregon was the first state to decriminalize cannabis in the '70s, but the effect seemed pretty insignificant at the time. This could be very different (and could support police defunding processes, since they would have a lot less to do).
The Portuguese experiment has been largely successful, at least last I looked. Oregon's move would be somewhat limited by comparison. They are not strictly legalizing stuff, the way they did with cannabis + retail. Making and dealing would still be crimes, just as they are in Portugal. If you were found to have a personal amount of cocaine or heroin or LSD, you would get a small fine and be directed to seek treatment instead of being sent to prison.
We have wasted a lot of money and violence on this "drug war". Drugs appear to have won. It is time we face up to that and look for alternatives. It is worth noting that Oregon was the first state to decriminalize cannabis in the '70s, but the effect seemed pretty insignificant at the time. This could be very different (and could support police defunding processes, since they would have a lot less to do).