In November 2020, the Oregon voters passed Measure 110, decriminalizing the possession of Schedule 1 through 4 drugs. This includes drugs such as LSD, Meth and Heroin as well as other hard drugs. If someone was caught in possession of any of these drugs, they would have to pay a $100 fine or undergo a health assessment. This measure also helped fund the creation of drug rehibition facilities across the state. We need to pass this type of legislation at the federal level.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) almost 20 million Americans over the age of 12 dealt with substance abuse in 2017. It’s pretty clear that there is a drug issue in America when it comes to addiction, and decriminalizing drugs may seem counterproductive to dealing with this issue. However, the decriminalization of drugs is the best answer to this issue.
Because Oregon just recently passed this legislation, we don’t have the long-term effects of drug decriminalization in the U.S. yet, but in 2001 Portugal did the same thing. They decriminalized drugs and since 2001 the addiction and drug overdose rates have had a sharp decline while drug usage hasn’t increased.
Per the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) Portugal ranked fourth in drug usage when it comes to European countries in 2020. The rate of drug deaths in Portugal has also fallen over the past 20 years, compared to the rest of the EU where the rate has risen.
We need to bring this type of drug legislation brought the U.S. Over the past 50 years we have tried this War on Drugs. We lock people up for dealing with addiction, and it hasn’t worked. We shouldn’t be putting people in prison for dealing with a medical issue, such as addiction.
If we can take the funds that we are putting towards the prison system and locking up nonviolent drug offenders, we can build public rehab centers that anyone can access. Right now, people are too scared to find help with their addiction because they fear they will be prosecuted. If people can get help without the fear of prosecution, they will actually get the help they need and better themselves.
While it is a longshot, this kind of drug legislation needs to be passed at the federal level. Our attempts to imprison people for addiction hasn’t worked at all, and drugs are as easy to get now, as ever. We need to start treating people dealing with addiction with empathy and offer them help.
Mark Warren can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @MarkWarren1832
Mira
LOVE your points here! Thank you so much for pointing out that this isn’t some new or radical idea and that Portugal not only already tried this but proved it worked.