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16 Wednesday, November 11, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Oregon decriminalizing hard drugs By Andrew Selsky Associated Press SALEM (AP) 4 In a first in the nation, Oregon has rejected charging drug users with criminal offenses, with voters passing a ballot mea- sure that decriminalizes pos- session of heroin, metham- phetamine, LSD, oxycodone and other hard drugs. <Today9s victory is a land- mark declaration that the time has come to stop criminal- izing people for drug use,= said Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which was behind the measure. <Measure 110 is arguably the biggest blow to the war on drugs to date.= The measure completely changes how Oregon9s jus- tice system treats those who are found with personal-use amounts of the hard drugs. Instead of going to trial and facing possible jail time, a person would have the option of paying a $100 fine or attending new <addiction recovery centers= funded by millions of dollars of tax rev- enue from Oregon9s legalized, regulated marijuana industry. The passage of the mea- sure makes Oregon, which in 1973 became the first state to decriminalize marijuana pos- session, a pioneer in America in trying the same with hard drugs. The measure takes effect 30 days after the elec- tion, but the punishment changes don9t take effect until February 1. Addiction recov- ery centers must be available by October 1. It may sound like a radical concept, but the initiative9s backers said making crimi- nals out of drug users 4 lock- ing them up and burdening them with criminal records that made it difficult to find housing and jobs 4 was not working. One in 11 Oregonians is addicted to drugs, and nearly two people die every day from overdoses in the state, the Oregon Nurses Association, the Oregon Chapter American College of Physicians and the Oregon Academy of Family Physicians had said in support of the measure. <We urgently need a change to save families and save lives,= they wrote. About 3,700 fewer Oregonians per year will be convicted of felony or misdemeanor possession of controlled substances now that the measure has passed, according to estimates by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. The measure will also likely lead to significant reductions in racial and eth- nic disparities in both convic- tions and arrests, the commis- sion, which is an official state agency, said. While this approach is new in the U.S., several coun- tries, including Portugal, the Netherlands and Switzerland, have already decriminalized possession of small amounts of hard drugs, according to the United Nations. Portugal9s 2000 decrimi- nalization brought no surge in drug use. Drug deaths fell while the number of people treated for drug addiction in the country rose 20% from 2001 to 2008 and then sta- bilized, Portuguese officials have said. <This is such a big step in moving to a health-based approach instead of criminal punishment, and we9re devot- ing significant new resources to help Oregonians who need it,= said Janie Gullickson, co-chief petitioner of Measure 110. The Law Offi ce of JOHN H. MYERS, LLC — Downtown Sisters — WILLS & TRUSTS W Make i it easy for you and your loved ones. Call C Ca ll for fo a free 30-minute consultation. WANT TO AVOID THE P PROBATE COURT PROCESS? I CAN HELP. 541-588-2414 The measure was being approved by 59 percent of roughly 2 million votes counted so far, according to the secretary of state9s office. Two dozen district attor- neys said the measure was reckless and would lead to an increase in the accept- ability of dangerous drugs. Two other district attorneys, including the one in Oregon9s most populous county and that includes Portland, backed the measure, as did a district attorney-elect. The measure does not apply retroactively to past convictions, but there may be efforts through the Legislature to expunge those criminal records, which the Drug Policy Alliance would support, said its spokesman, Matt Sutton. Oregon voters on Tuesday also legalized therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms, with a two-year development period. War veterans with PTSD, terminally ill patients and others suffering from anxiety had voiced support. The measure requires the Oregon Health Authority to allow licensed, regulated production and possession of psilocybin, exclusively for administration by licensed facilitators to clients. Before Tuesday9s elec- tions, Oregon was among 11 states as well as Washington, D.C., that had legalized marijuana. Several other states are following suit. Voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota all approved ballot measures Tuesday legalizing marijuana for adults. Winter driving conditions have arrived Winter weather snuck up on Sisters Country and much of the West this week. With the arrival of snow and freezing tempera- tures, Oregon State Police reminded drivers of the importance of some basic safety tips: " First thing first, check your route and the weather. Use www.tripcheck.com for updated road closures and chain requirements. " Drive slowly. Always adjust your speed down to account for lower traction when driving on snow or ice. " Accelerate and decel- erate slowly. Apply the gas slowly to regain traction and avoid skids. Don9t try to get moving in a hurry and take time to slow down for a stoplight. " Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads. Increase your follow- ing distance to five to six seconds. This increased mar- gin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop. " Know your brakes. Whether you have anti-lock brakes or not, keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal. " Don9t stop if you can avoid it. There9s a big differ- ence in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it. " Don9t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow- covered roads will just make your wheels spin. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill slowly. " Don9t stop going up a hill. There9s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill. " It is also a good idea to stay home and only go out if necessary. Even if you can drive well in bad weather, it9s better to avoid taking unnecessary risks by ventur- ing out. Have a story idea for The Nugget? We’d love to hear it! Send an email to editor@nuggetnews.com