49 States to Go –

March 2, 2020 – If the bill passes and small-scale possession of all drugs is decriminalized, it would be a historic first for the nation. The legality of drugs would then resemble the situation established since 2001 in Portugal. And it makes sense that Oregon should blaze the trail.

“Oregonians have always been early adopters of drug policies that shift the emphasis towards health and away from punishment,” said Theshia Naidoo, managing director of Criminal Justice Law and Policy at Drug Policy Action, in the press release.

Oregon legalized marijuana through a ballot measure back in 2014. And in 2017, the state legislature voted to make possession of small quantities of all drugs, including heroin and methamphetamine, a misdemeanor instead of a felony. One concession in that law was the continued ability for prosecutors to bring felonies for defendants with a prior conviction, but IP44 would close that loophole.

@FilterMag