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The
bill, passed by the state legislature last month and signed into
law on Tuesday, reduces to a misdemeanor offense the possession
of small quantities of drugs that an individual has for personal
use.
“Addressing disparities that too often fall along racial and
socioeconomic lines should not be political issues,” Brown said
in a statement, saying that the law will create a more equitable
justice system.
Oregon joins at least nine other states that have reduced
penalties or the class of offenses for possession of
non-marijuana drugs, according to data compiled by the National
Conference of State Legislatures.
Oregon already allows the use of both medical and recreational
marijuana.
The intent of the Oregon law is to reduce jail populations and
allow low-level offenders an opportunity to seek substance abuse
treatment without a felony conviction on their record.
Certain people could still face felony charges if someone is
already a convicted felon, has been caught twice before with a
“useable” amount of the drugs, or is believed to be are selling
the narcotics.
The state’s police chiefs and sheriffs in general supported the
law, said Eve Costello, district attorney for Klamath County in
rural south-central Oregon, who opposed the change.
“In my jurisdiction, we are 30 miles from the California border
and a lot of drugs are pushed through here by the (drug)
cartels,” Costello said in a phone interview.
The law could hinder police who can no longer use as leverage
the threat of a felony charge against small-time users to get
information to lead them to suppliers or traffickers, she said.
But the change does allow prosecutors to subject offenders to
formal probation and supervision that “may change
life-destructive behaviors,” she said.
(Reporting by Keith Coffman; Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Leslie
Adler)
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