Oregon Decriminalizes Possession of Heroin, Meth, and Cocaine

Under the new law instead of criminal prosecution, people in possession of heroin, meth, cocaine, and/or LSD would face a $100 fine, which can be waived if the person agrees to pursue treatment, according to the measure.

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Citizens in Oregon have voted to decriminalize the possession of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other Schedule 1 drugs for personal use. In a separate ballot measure, they approved the legalization of psilocybin "magic" mushrooms as a mental health therapy.

Voters overwhelmingly supported Measure 110, a coup for the New York-based Drug Policy Alliance, the same criminal justice reform group that backed Oregon’s successful marijuana legalization effort in 2014.

Near-final returns as of 10:20 a.m. Wednesday showed the measure winning overwhelmingly, 59% to 41%. Its margin of victory exceeded 350,000 votes, Oregon Live reports.

Under the new law instead of criminal prosecution, people in possession of heroin, meth, cocaine, and/or LSD would face a $100 fine, which can be waived if the person agrees to pursue treatment, according to the measure.

Oregon’s Measure 109 will give legal access to psilocybin, the main active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” for mental health treatment in supervised settings, CNBC reports.

As of Wednesday at about 6 a.m. ET, the Measure 109 was passing with 55.8% support and over 2 million votes cast, according to Oregon’s Secretary of State.

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