In late 2020, Oregon decriminalized small amounts of heroin and cocaine — despite a standing federal prohibition — making their possession no longer punishable by jail time.

While experts lauded the new measure at the time as a meaningful step towards dismantling the war on drugs and a way to stop users from landing in jail, the experiment, known as Measure 110, appears to have backfired in a cautionary tale about the difficulties of enacting effective drug policy. Read more.