‘All about survival’: Mixed reviews of decriminalization as Oregon approaches two-year mark

Under Measure 110, instead of incarceration, people found with drugs are given a ticket with a fine that gets waived if they call a treatment hotline.

Terrence and D.Shot sit outside on a bustling street in Portland, Ore., keeping warm over the American Thanksgiving weekend with a barrel fire on the sidewalk.

Next to them, a shopping cart full of wood and refundable cans promises a few dollars and a few more hours of heat as the pair finds “the means to survive” over winter.

“We got to live. It’s cold outside,” said Terrence, who has been unhoused for nine months. “It’s all about survival out here because we’re not getting any help from these folks. No mental health help.”

On Feb. 1, Oregon will mark two years since it made history as the first U.S. state to decriminalize personal-use possession of drugs like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and oxycodone.

The west coast state made headlines around the world when it passed the legislation amidst a concerning spike in overdose deaths. Under Measure 110, instead of incarceration, people found with drugs are given a ticket with a fine that gets waived if they call a treatment hotline.

Terrence and D.Shot said they know about Measure 110, but doubt the effectiveness of the landmark policy in treating addiction. D.Shot suggested it’s more of a boon for taxpayers than users, because it means less costly paperwork and fewer court dates.

Meanwhile, use and black market dealing continue on the streets.

“All of us are not idiots, man. I think they thought we were asleep when they did that,” D.Shot told Global News. “People are going to do drugs. It’s not going to stop because it’s decriminalized.