Oregon lawmakers now want to recriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs after facing rampant public drug use

UK Daily Mail ^ | January 24 2024 | KAMAL SULTAN

[knighthawk]

Lawmakers in Oregon are moving to recriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs after it faced rampant public drug use and saw overdose-related deaths more than triple.

'It's the compromise path, but also the best policy that we can come up with to make sure that we are continuing to keep communities safe and save lives,' said state Senator Kate Lieber, a Democrat and one of the bill's authors.

The state became the first in the country to decriminalize the possession of all drugs including heroin and cocaine in 2020.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Sorry, toothpaste is already out of the tube…

[cgbg]

They keep “saving lives” by killing people.

Democrats are so clever.

;-)

[escapefromboston]

It was a fun while it lasted

[I want the USA back]

They get paid big bucks to do stupid things, and then try to fix them.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Yep. Better close that barn door now that the horse has gotten out!

Idiots.

[Carriage Hill]

✔

[ClearCase_guy]

There is an old GK Chesterton story that basically boils down to: “Do not remove a fence until you know why it was put up in the first place.”

These people decriminalized drugs without fully understanding that drugs were criminalized for a reason.

[Right Brother]

“Rampant public drug use”. No one saw that coming.

[No name given]

It’s too late, Oregon. The genie 🧞‍♂️ is already out of the bottle.

[llevrok]

They get paid big bucks to do stupid things, and then try to fix them.

Yup. Like the homeless. There is big bucks and bigger government expansion in trying to "manage" the homeless and drugs situations.

Don't kill the golden goose that is the federal government and tax payers

[exDemMom]

If you want more of an activity, just decriminalize it.

I’ve seen the argument so many times that drugs should be legal since making them illegal does not stop people from using them. But, as the Oregon experience shows, criminalization sure does cut down on the drug abuse.

[The Louiswu]

"recriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs"

Gotta parse this out a bit...only those holding "small" amounts will be subject to the new law...but hey, the big amounts, the dealers, well now we wouldn't want to mess with our overlords income

[Scott from the Left Coast]

We elect idiots.

[blackdog]

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/snl/images/b/b8/Emily_Litella.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20210317045452

[blackdog]

“Never Mind”

[NWFree]

Eventually they’ll be no one left to charge

[jagusafr]

Where’s the Simpsons “Ha-HA” guy?

[gundog]

Decriminalization was accomplished by initiative petition. The same with Oregon’s draconian gun laws (now “permanently” ended). I’ll be curious to hear if there’s any moaning about the will of the people being thwarted.

[ridesthemiles]

THE DRUGGIE HIPPIES swarmed into Oregon in the 70’s.

NOW (?) they are upset???