MARCH 5, 20245:22 PM ET
HEARD ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
By Brian Mann, Conrad Wilson

Oregon’s state legislature voted to reverse a measure that decriminalized personal drug use. What does the Oregon experiment and its likely overhaul mean in the wider context of the U.S. war on drugs?

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

Three years after Oregon became the first state in the country to decriminalize drug use – that’s including drugs like methamphetamines and fentanyl – the experiment now appears to be dead. State lawmakers sent a bill last week to Oregon’s governor that would once again make it a crime to possess small, personal-use amounts of drugs. What’s happening in Oregon could end up reshaping the national debate over how to respond to America’s deadly fentanyl crisis. NPR addiction correspondent Brian Mann and Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Conrad Wilson have been following this and join us now. Hey to both of you. Read more.