Updated: Jan. 19, 2023, 8:12 p.m. | Published: Jan. 19, 2023, 6:42 p.m.
A few dozen Oregon moms and others concerned about addiction rallied at Woodstock Park in Southeast Portland on Sunday, May 8, 2022, calling for state officials with the Oregon Health Authority to take further action against substance use. Secretary of State Shemia Fagan released an audit Thursday that shows shaky implementation of Measure 110, one response to Oregon’s addiction problem. Mark Graves/The Oregonian
By Catalina Gaitán | The Oregonian/OregonLive
Setbacks and delays hindered the rollout of Measure 110, which Oregon voters approved in 2020 to decriminalize drug possession for personal use and increase funding for treatment services.
That’s the message from Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, who released an audit Thursday of the $150-million-per-year initiative funded mostly with cannabis tax revenue. It arrived against a stark backdrop: Oregon has the second highest rate of substance use disorder in the United States and is 50th in the nation for treatment access, Fagan noted, citing 2020 figures from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.