by: Ken Boddie, Andrew Foran
Posted: Sep 24, 2023 / 10:00 AM PDT
Updated: Sep 23, 2023 / 06:07 PM PDT
Washington County DA Kevin Barton guest on Eye on Northwest Politics
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — When Oregon voters approved Measure 110 in November 2020, it was hailed as a way to get drug users off the streets and into treatment.
The measure passed 59% to 41% three years ago and it decriminalized small amounts of street drugs, making it a $100 violation, instead of a misdemeanor crime.
The idea was to give drug users an option for treatment funded by cannabis taxes, but it’s been mostly viewed as a failure.
Only a small percentage of violators actually opt for treatment. The prevalence of drugs on the street, especially fentanyl, is ever-present.
Now there’s an effort to change Measure 110.