Politics

…forward with [Oregon measures 109 & 110]…

The Governor’s Budget invests $112.6 million to implement Measure 110 which decriminalizes possession of drugs and invests $5.6 million to begin implementing Measure 109, which legalized psilocybin for medicinal use as a potential treatment for behavioral health disorders… The budget recognizes the enormous need for behavioral health services and includes significant funding for substance use…

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Psychology

Decriminalization is just the start of real reform – and… users need to be part of the conversation

For… users, the potential pitfalls of [blanket] decriminalization are frightening and all too likely to happen. One fear they have about decriminalization is that authorities will drop criminal punishments, only to raise an oppressive regime of civil penalties – specifically, issuing tickets and fines… a fear is that… decriminalize [all] drugs, that’s where the experiment…

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Anthropology

…drug decriminalization and “treatment” measure qualifies for… ballot

There were 8,903 drug simple drug possession arrests in the state in fiscal year 2018, according to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission—or more than one every hour. The initiative has also been endorsed by more than 50 other organizations, including ACLU Oregon, United Seniors of Oregon, Oregon Latino Health Coalition, Oregon State Council For Retired Citizens, the NAACP…

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Politics

DEA [temporarily] has permission to surveil protesters: what does that mean when cannabis remains federally illegal?

More broadly though, [NORML Political Director Justin Strekal] connected this expansion of DEA powers to how the DEA has enforced the drug war far beyond cannabis… [for 14 days starting June 2nd, 2020]. “Drug enforcement agents should not be conducting covert surveillance of protests and First Amendment protected speech,” [said Hugh] Handeyside, a senior attorney…

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Politics

U.S. urged to toughen drug war [by China]

*Lüshunkou Liaoning China Lüshun-Prison More than 115,000 people received criminal sentences last year in China for narcotics-related violations, compared with about 81,000 in 2012, according to the Supreme People’s Court. ​ “I think the communities are safer and our young people are better protected against drugs,” Roque said even as he expressed optimism that the…

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