More than a year after Oregon became the first state in the nation to decriminalize drugs, officials are admitting the pioneering experiment has failed so far.
Overdoses in just one county have jumped by 700 percent.
Seizures of fentanyl, marijuana, and opioids have skyrocketed.
Funding for programs intended to provide drug users with treatment has not materialized. And very few drug users are showing any interest in obtaining that treatment.
The experiment began when Oregonians passed Ballot Measure 110 in 2020, which decriminalized possession of “personal amounts” of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and other drugs.
Under the new law, which took effect in February 2021, those found in possession of drugs would receive a maximum fine of $100, which would be waived if they called a hotline for a health assessment to enter a drug treatment program….