November 3 marked one year since the passage of Measure 110 – the groundbreaking ballot initiative that made Oregon the first state to decriminalize the possession of all drugs. The campaign was spearheaded by Drug Policy Action, DPA’s political advocacy arm, and passed overwhelmingly by Oregon voters. 

The measure also greatly increases access to supportive health and harm reduction services. Over the last year, DPA's key implementation partner in the state – the Health Justice Recovery Alliance – worked to secure $302 million in funding for health services over the next two years, including $30 million lawmakers agreed to release ahead of schedule last May.
 
With the removal of criminal penalties for drug possession, thousands of Oregonians are avoiding the devastating life-long consequences of a drug arrest – including the loss of employment, educational opportunities, housing, public benefits, child custody, and immigration status.
 
The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission estimates that we will see a 95% reduction in racial disparities in drug arrests in the state. This is of critical importance as communities of color in Oregon, like in the rest of the country, have disproportionately borne the brunt of the drug war.
 
Support for drug decriminalization is at an all-time high, with a recent poll by DPA and the ACLU finding that 66% of Americans now support eliminating criminal penalties for drug possession and replacing them with a new approach centered in public health. 
 
Since Measure 110’s passage, several states – including Washington, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Kansas – as well as the District of Columbia and the United States Congress have introduced bills or launched campaigns to likewise remove criminal penalties for drug possession.