Oregon votes to decriminalize the possession of cocaine, heroin, and meth

Nov 4 2020, 8:53 pm

During Tuesday’s US election, Oregon voted to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of street drugs such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, by way of, “Measure 110,” with nearly 59% of Oregonians voting in favour of the initiative.

The new law is the first of its kind and has reclassified drug possession offences.

Oregonians also voted to legalize the use of psychedelic mushrooms for therapeutic purposes.

Possession of a controlled substance has been reclassified from a Class A misdemeanour to a Class E violation, making the new punishment for the possession of any illegal drug to become the legal equivalent to that of a traffic ticket.

measure 110

Oregon Measure 110 results/Oregonvotes.gov

On February 1, the state will no longer be jailing people for petty possession of a substance. Violators will be given the option of paying a $100 fine or participating in a health assessment program which will be conducted through various addiction recovery centres.


The push behind the decriminalization of drugs in Oregon came from the success of similar programs that have taken place in other countries, namely Portugal and Switzerland, where disciplinary drug laws have been reduced in favour of a more public health-oriented approach.

Anyone in Oregon who manufactures or distributes, or is caught with dealer-sized quantities of any form of illegal substances is still subject to a criminal penalty, and will still be arrested and face criminal prosecution under the existing state laws.

Téana GrazianiTéana Graziani

+ News
+ Crime
ADVERTISEMENT