Less than three months remain until Oregon’s re-criminalization process begins Drug possessionSome Portland-area leaders are meeting behind closed doors to draft a plan that critics argue would largely keep the status quo in the state’s most populous county.
“I think most people’s perception was that this would give people access to treatment as an alternative to arrest, but if they don’t want treatment, they’ll be arrested,” said Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards. KOIN 6 News,
Instead, the proposal, which has not yet been shared publicly, includes “an endless revolving door” and very little direct access to treatment, Brim-Edwards said.
A man smokes meth on a sidewalk in Portland, Oregon, on January 10, 2024. The city has had to grapple with open drug use and dealing in the wake of Measure 110, which decriminalized drug possession. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News Digital)
Oregonians voted to decriminalize possession of all drugs in 2020 and redirect hundreds of millions of dollars in marijuana tax revenue to fund addiction services. Users of substances like meth and fentanyl can only be given a punitive amount if they are caught with a drug. $100 ticketwhich could have been forgiven if they called the treatment hotline listed on the back. The data showed that the majority of individuals who received tickets did not call the hotline or pay the fine.
Open drug use and overdose deaths soon skyrocketed — though researchers argue there is no clear link between decriminalization and overdoses — and several polls showed that Oregon voters regretted the move and wanted to reinstate criminal penalties.
Facing massive opposition, lawmakers passed the bill. House Bill 4002 In March, a new felony charge was created for drug possession and gave two options to those caught with small amounts of substances like meth and fentanyl: undergo treatment or go to jail for up to six months.
Lawmakers voted earlier this year to re-criminalize drug possession following a dramatic shift in voter attitudes. Several polls have shown that Oregonians favor re-criminalizing hard drugs and making treatment mandatory, not voluntary, to avoid jail time. (Ramiro Vargas/Fox News Digital)
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But the bill leaves it up to local governments to decide how to implement the law before it takes effect Sept. 1.
In Multnomah County, where Portland is located, County Chairwoman Jessica Vega Pedersen is leading the effort, The Oregonian informed of.
Under the proposal, people caught with drugs would only have to check in at a drop-off center to avoid arrest. They would not need to undergo screening or treatment programs, and there would be no limit to how many times someone could choose to defend themselves instead of being arrested, according to the paper.
“The reality is that we know that the more often people are engaged in the rehabilitation system, the more likely they are to enter rehabilitation, and that’s not the right way to treat individuals in prison,” Alicia Temple, a policy adviser to the president, told the paper.
Pedersen is working on the plan with local leaders, including progressive Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidtwho recently lost his re-election campaign to a more liberal opponent. Also included are the Portland police chief, the county sheriff, a judge, treatment providers, a defense attorney and a representative from Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office, according to local reports.
A Portland police officer holds a container of suspected fentanyl from inside a homeless man’s tent. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News Digital)
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At least two county commissioners have criticized the proposal, saying they were kept in the dark during its development. District Attorney-Elect Nathan Vasquez shared a similar sentiment, telling KGW He has not been invited into this scheme, and he sees major flaws in this scheme.
“It’s a return to that failed formula,” Vasquez said. “And in some cases, you could even say maybe it’s even worse. I mean, you’re looking at a situation where, you know, if it’s true that they’re going to have unlimited deflections, what message does that send?”
“It’s just moving them around,” Joe Bezzeghi, director of engagement at the privately run Center for Medical and Behavioral Health, told The Oregonian. “We’re probably going to go back to what we’ve been doing all along, maybe a slightly less harmful version.”
Portland’s neighboring counties appear to have stricter plans for enforcement. Clackamas and Washington Counties The D.A. told local media that they expect people to comply with treatment requirements and that they plan to limit the number of options people have to opt out of treatment.
“This is our way as a system to say, we really want you to get help and get treatment,” Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth told The Oregonian.
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Multnomah County officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
