Oregon governor recriminalizes some drugs

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed a bill Monday to recriminalize the possession of certain drugs in the state after it was the first to decriminalize all drugs in 2020 via a ballot initiative.

Starting on September 1, offenders could spend six months in jail for possession of drugs other than marijuana, which will remain legal.

The bill offers alternatives to time in jail, however. Offenders can also choose to go to get drug treatment instead of going to jail.

“House Bill 4002 provides three pathways to avoid incarceration for individuals who possess small amounts of a controlled substance by encouraging pre-arrest deflection, providing conditional discharge upon criminal justice interaction, and pursuing formal probation,” Kotek wrote about the bill.

Giving the option for rehab “is one strategy to reduce collateral consequences of justice system involvement and can help mitigate the racial and ethnic disparities this legislation is projected to create," she added.

Kotek and local authorities declared a fentanyl state of emergency in Portland in January after opioid deaths tripled in the state between 2019 and 2022. Many of the overdoses were attributed to fentanyl.