November, 02 2020, 11:00pm EDT

Drug Policy Action's Measure 110 Prevails, Making Oregon the First U.S. State to Decriminalize All Drugs & Expand Access to Addiction and Health Services
Tonight, in a historic victory, Oregon voters approved Measure 110, the nation's first all-drug decriminalization measure, by a XX-XX margin. This win represents a substantial shift in public perception and support in favor of treating drug use as a matter of public health, best met with access to treatment and other health services, rather than criminalization.
PORTLAND, Oregon
Tonight, in a historic victory, Oregon voters approved Measure 110, the nation's first all-drug decriminalization measure, by a XX-XX margin. This win represents a substantial shift in public perception and support in favor of treating drug use as a matter of public health, best met with access to treatment and other health services, rather than criminalization. The initiative was spearheaded by Drug Policy Action, the advocacy and political arm of Drug Policy Alliance, the nation's preeminent drug policy reform organization, which also backed prior drug policy wins in Oregon, including the YES on 91 campaign in 2014 that legalized marijuana.
"Today's victory is a landmark declaration that the time has come to stop criminalizing people for drug use," said Kassandra Frederique, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance. "Measure 110 is arguably the biggest blow to the war on drugs to date. It shifts the focus where it belongs--on people and public health--and removes one of the most common justifications for law enforcement to harass, arrest, prosecute, incarcerate, and deport people. As we saw with the domino effect of marijuana legalization, we expect this victory to inspire other states to enact their own drug decriminalization policies that prioritize health over punishment."
In addition to decriminalizing possession of all drugs for personal use, Measure 110 will greatly expand access to evidence-informed drug treatment, peer support, housing, and harm reduction services, without raising taxes. Services will be funded through excess marijuana tax revenue (over $45 million) and savings from no longer arresting, incarcerating, and prosecuting people for drug possession. Based on current projections, the excess marijuana tax revenue alone should result in over $100 million in funding for services in the first year and up to $129 million by 2027.
DPA has been actively working on an implementation plan, which will involve multiple coalition partners who have supported the campaign, to ensure that the intent and will of the voters are protected and furthered after the measure takes effect.
According to a report by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission released by the Oregon Secretary of State's office, passage of this measure will result in a 95% decrease in racial disparities in drug arrests. The actual impact on disparities could be even more dramatic, the report notes, stating "other disparities can exist at different stages of the criminal justice process, including inequities in police stops, jail bookings, bail, pretrial detention, prosecutorial decisions, and others."
The fundamental elements of the measure are based on successful models used in other parts of the United States and around the world--including Portugal and Switzerland, but tailored specifically to meet the needs of Oregonians. DPA worked in consultation with many Oregonians involved in public health, treatment, equity, economics, criminal justice, civil liberties, and more to craft the measure.
The initiative was supported by a broad spectrum of local, state and national groups, including the ACLU, Human Rights Watch, AFSCME of Oregon, NAACP of Portland/Eugene Springfield, Oregon Academy of Family Physicians, The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Oregon Nurses Association, Harm Reduction Coalition, YWCA of Greater Portland, Oregon Chapter of the American College of Physicians, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Coalition of Communities of Color, Oregon School Psychologists' Association, SEIU Local 49 & 503, Oregon AFL-CIO, and over 120 others.
Related Federal & State Advocacy
The Oregon victory demonstrates that decriminalization is politically viable, invigorating efforts already underway in other states, including California, Vermont, and Washington, and even in Congress, where DPA has released a federal framework for drug decriminalization. The effort, outlined in a proposal, Dismantling the Federal Drug War: A Comprehensive Drug Decriminalization Framework, unveiled by the organization in August 2020, provides a roadmap for policymakers to effectively end the criminalization of people who use drugs and begin repairing the harm drug law enforcement has caused, particularly in communities of color.
"While drug decriminalization cannot fully repair our broken and oppressive criminal legal system or the harms of an unregulated drug market, shifting from absolute prohibition to drug decriminalization is a monumental step forward in this fight. It clears the path toward treating drug use as a health issue, restores individual liberty, removes one of the biggest underpinnings for police abuse, and substantially reduces government waste," Frederique added.
The Drug Policy Alliance has long advocated for drug decriminalization as a critical first step in ending the drug war, including in its 2017 report, It's Time for the U.S. to Decriminalize Drug Use and Possession. The report is a result of a comprehensive review of public health and criminology literature, an analysis of drug policies in the U.S. and abroad, and input from experts in the fields of drug policy and criminal justice.
The Drug Policy Alliance is the nation's leading organization promoting drug policies grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.
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Doctors Against Genocide Hold DC Rally for 'Bread Not Bombs' in Gaza
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Around 20 DAG members in white lab coats held up pieces of pita and chanted, "Bread not bombs, let the children eat" during the Capitol Hill rally.
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🪧 'Let the children eat!'
Doctors Against Genocide visited the US Capitol Hill to advocate for immediate action to end the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip https://t.co/aUJ9X6s4sh pic.twitter.com/RVpm2TX2Co
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) April 30, 2025
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"Hope is running out to save tens of thousands of children," Kuziez warned. "When children die of starvation, they don't even cry. Their little hearts just slow down until they stop."
Some of the speakers at the Capitol Hill rally hailed the resilience of Gaza's medical workers, who have suffered not only Israel's bombing and siege of hospitals and other healthcare infrastructure, but also kidnapping, torture, and apparent execution by Israeli troops.
"My Palestinian healthcare worker colleagues demonstrated something for which I have no word, because it goes beyond compassion, beyond skillful dedication, beyond courage," said Dr. Brennan Bollman, a professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University who just returned from Gaza. "They lost their family members and returned to work the following day."
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In addition to calling for an immediate cease-fire and lifting of Israel's blockade on Gaza, DAG is also demanding protection of children facing starvation, an end to U.S. bombing of Yemen, and safeguarding the U.S. Constitution and freedom of speech amid attacks on medical professionals' livelihoods.
Wednesday's rally came as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) held a third day of hearings on Israel's legal obligation to "ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population."
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As congressional Republicans mull potentially imposing stricter work requirements for adults who rely on federal nutrition aid as part of a push to pass a GOP-backed reconciliation bill, an analysis from the progressive think tank the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released Wednesday states that such a move could take away food "from millions of people in low-income households" who are having a hard time finding steady employment or face hurdles to finding work.
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