SALEM, Ore. (AP) — In a first in the nation, Oregon has rejected charging drug users with criminal offenses, with voters passing a ballot measure that decriminalizes possession of heroin, methamphetamine, LSD, oxycodone and other hard drugs.
The Drug Policy Alliance, which was behind the measure, said it is arguably the biggest blow to the war on drugs to date.
The measure completely changes how Oregon’s justice system treats those who are found with personal-use amounts of the hard drugs.
Instead of going to trial and facing possible jail time, a person would have the option of paying a $100 fine or attending new addiction recovery centers funded by tax revenue from Oregon’s marijuana industry.