Sadly, it’s official, Friend. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek just signed HB 4002 into law which will take effect on September 1st. This harmful rollback of our historic Measure 110 win abandons a health approach and reverts to the failed approach of treating drug possession as a crime. It’s a false promise of change that will cycle people through the criminal legal system with no meaningful connection to treatment.  

I want to express my deepest gratitude to supporters like you for standing with us every step of the way. From our Oregonian advocates who contacted their legislators to our dedicated donors who rose to the occasion to so many more who supported us in other ways, thank you for fueling this fight and making our work possible. 

This is not the end, just a detour. And there are still a few positives to hold on to. Measure 110 dramatically reduced the harms of criminalization by limiting arrests and the barriers and jobs and housing that come with criminal records. And although lawmakers recriminalized possession, they kept Measure 110’s lifesaving addiction services in place and are funding even more. Overall, drug policy in Oregon is still better today than it was before we passed Measure 110 in 2020. Its criminalization provisions aren’t as harsh as most other states. And we were able to stop the opposition from making it much worse.  

While this is an upsetting setback, our work to replace criminalization with care continues. Along with our network of Oregon advocates, we will continue to push for improvements. And we will continue to fiercely advocate for an evidence-based, health approach to drugs in Oregon and across the U.S. 

If you haven’t yet, consider donating to fuel our fight and stand against politicians who want to return to failed policies of criminalization. 

Social change at the scale of our vision takes time. It’s multigenerational. Opposition always strikes back, especially when cornered, and we sometimes lose a round. But we always get back up and we’re grateful to everyone who fought alongside us.  

With your continued support, we will keep moving policies around the country that reflect our values and improve the conditions of our communities. Because you and your loved ones deserve better – we all deserve better.