Overview

• Oregon's experiment with drug decriminalization, initiated in 2020, faces backlash as overdose deaths increase and public safety concerns grow.
• State Democrats and Republicans introduce proposals to re-criminalize drug possession, with potential penalties including jail time and fines.
• Public support for Measure 110, which decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs, declines as the state grapples with an opioid crisis.
• Critics argue that the decriminalization policy failed to reduce overdose deaths and exacerbated issues such as homelessness and public drug use.
• Maine considers the consequences of Oregon's policy as a cautionary tale, debating its own drug decriminalization bill.