‘The Evergreen’: Drug recriminalization in Oregon is an ongoing experiment
It’s been a little over a month since Oregon officially ended its experiment with drug decriminalization. Now, there’s a new set of experiments going on around the state.
In The News
Oregon recriminalized drugs. So now what?
On Sept. 1, Oregon officially rolled back Ballot Measure 110, ending the state's four-year experiment with drug decriminalization. A new state law encourages police officers and prosecutors to connect people to treatment and deflect them away from the criminal justice system. OPB is looking at how the state's new plan is rolling out, county-by-county, and asking: How will recriminalization impact access to drug treatment, the number of overdose deaths and crime trends statewide?
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use and needs help, the Oregon Substance Use Disorders Services Directory provides a list of agencies throughout the state that can assist in finding treatment services.
Latest coverage
Drug laws are back in Oregon. How they are enforced depends on the county
00:00
/
04:36
Counties will approach enforcement differently, providing yet another large-scale experiment in drug policy.
An early look at how Oregon’s new drug law is shaping up in Multnomah County
00:00
/
05:08
Oregon lawmakers passed House Bill 4002 earlier this year, which added new criminal penalties for drug possession.
Drug possession is a crime again in Oregon. Here’s what you need to know
00:00
/
05:29
Oregon has ended its experiment with drug decriminalization. Starting Sept. 1, possession of small amounts of illicit substances are once again considered a misdemeanor crime.
Thanks to member support, OPB shares stories that inform, enlighten and inspire our communities.
A look at Oregon's efforts to address addiction
Oregon pioneered a radical drug policy. Now it’s reconsidering
00:00
/
Under Ballot Measure 110, instead of arresting drug users, police give them a citation and point them towards treatment. Over three years in, there's a debate about whether it's succeeded or failed.
‘It’s crazy out there’: The reasons behind Oregon’s deepening drug crisis
00:00
/
05:51
Fueled by fentanyl, the number of overdose deaths in Oregon has soared since 2019. And while the surge in overdoses is part of a national problem, the state’s underfunded treatment system is struggling to provide local solutions.
What Oregon’s drug crisis looks like on the streets of Portland: Overdoses every day
00:00
/
07:31
State legislators will spend much of the next month debating whether to scrap Measure 110, Oregon's voter-approved effort at drug decriminalization. Their decision will directly impact the first responders who deal with drug addiction on the streets of Portland. But has decriminalization caused the spike in overdoses and public use, or has it simply made the crisis impossible to ignore?
Oregon’s drug decriminalization aimed to make police a gateway to rehab, not jail. State leaders failed to make it work
00:00
/
06:54
Just over three years since Oregon voters passed Ballot Measure 110, elected officials want to repeal key elements, blaming the law for open drug use and soaring overdoses. But it’s their own hands-off approach that isn’t working, advocates say.
Oregon’s new drug penalties would mean surge in convictions, jail stints, state estimates suggest
00:00
/
05:52
State estimates show 1,333 people will be convicted of drug possession and 533 could go to jail every year under the bill approved by lawmakers last week.
Learn more
Officials spearheading Oregon drug recriminalization could learn a lot from Washington
00:00
/
05:06
Some of the people at the heart of that process believe Oregon is on the verge of making critical mistakes that mean many parts of the state will flop when it comes to meeting the overarching goal: steering drug users who are causing public angst and disorder away from the public eye and toward recovery.
After rolling back Ballot Measure 110, Oregon’s drug recriminalization plans come into focus
In less than a month, Oregon will end its nearly four-year experiment with drug decriminalization. Beginning Sept. 1, possession of small amounts of drugs will again be a misdemeanor crime.
Multnomah County hits pause on deflection center opening
Multnomah County officials announced Monday that they will temporarily halt the opening of a deflection center, where police could have taken people arrested for drug possession to access treatment.
Incoming DA Vasquez ‘not in agreement’ with Multnomah County’s latest drug treatment plan
Along with concerns of how feasible it will be to get the facility up and running in a few weeks, incoming Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said there are ongoing questions about how many people will be served based on current requirements.
State reverses decision, OK’s money for Clackamas County’s drug program
At the beginning of August, a state grant committee rejected Clackamas County’s $1 million program over concerns it too closely resembled a process for someone charged with a crime. While Monday’s debate before the Criminal Justice Commission’s IMPACTS grant committee was about whether to reconsider a relatively small amount of money, the back and forth illustrated disagreements among key stakeholders about a central part of Oregon’s new state law known as defection.
Multnomah County, Portland leaders outline drug deflection plan
Leaders from Multnomah County and the city of Portland outlined their plans Wednesday for how to address drug possession after a new criminal charge goes into effect statewide in September.
Months before taking office, Multnomah County’s DA-elect is shaping drug policy
00:00
/
04:21
Counties across the state are working to establish "deflection programs," a collaboration between law enforcement agencies and behavioral health entities to get drug users into treatment, rather than the criminal justice system. In Multnomah County, the proposed plan has hit snags.
‘More than one per day’: Multnomah County report shows spike in fentanyl overdose deaths
In 2018 and 2019, an average of two people per month in Multnomah County died from a fentanyl overdose, according to a report by the Multnomah County Health Department. By last year, the average number rose to nearly 36 deaths per month — “More than one per day,” said Emily Mosites, the county’s epidemiology manager.
With Measure 110 gutted, Eastern Oregon harm reduction group remains undeterred
00:00
/
04:25
The Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living keeps its focus on treating the root causes of addiction.
Pilot program that has police, drug treatment providers work together in Portland will continue
Under the pilot program that started last year, police would still issue Measure 110 tickets, and offer an immediate opportunity to connect with a treatment provider. Police and treatment workers have connected with more than 150 people during the 10 days they’ve worked together, according to Devon Downeysmith, with the Health Justice Recovery Alliance, key supporters of Measure 110.