Bulletin Editorial Board | Sep 8, 2023
If you don’t like Measure 110 and its decriminalization of most possession of illegal drugs, blame Portugal.
Blaming Portugal is not entirely fair. But Portugal was held up as a model in how to win the war on drugs. The idea there was to treat drug problems as an addiction and not a crime. The country decriminalized most possession.
Sound familiar? It’s what voters wanted with Measure 110.
Now there is a minor hullabaloo over some Oregon legislators traveling to Portugal to learn more about how decriminalization has worked. The trip is being partially paid by none other than a major backer of Measure 110, “the Oregon Health Justice Recovery Alliance, a coalition of state and national groups,” The Oregonian reported.