It’s No Longer a Crime to Do Drugs in Oregon
New Law in Oregon Decriminalizes All Drugs for Personal Use
On February 1st, Oregon became the first state in the country to decriminalize so-called “hard drugs”.
Thanks to voter-approved ballot measure 110, passed in November 2020, police can no longer arrest individuals with a minor amount of drugs in their possession. Drugs such as methamphetamine (meth), heroin, LSD, cocaine, and oxycodone (oxy) are included in the measure.
Possession of hard drugs is no longer a criminal offense, meaning that people in Oregon will not be arrested if law enforcement determines that drugs are in their possession. However, that does not mean it’s legal.
Possession is now reduced to a Class E Misdemeanor. Police and law enforcement officers can issue a ticket with a $100 fine and offer addictions counseling when they come into contact with a person using hard drugs.
Oregon has always been a trailblazer in drug reform.
Marijuana possession was similarly decriminalized in Oregon back in 1973, the first state in the country to do so. The state was one of the first to legalize medical marijuana, and recreational marijuana became legal in 2015.
