MJ moment

Oregon voters’ decisive passage this week of an initiative to decriminalize possession of all drugs and invest in substance misuse treatment—a vote some reformers have called the biggest blow ever to the drug war—has reinvigorated backers of a similar effort in neighboring Washington State, who say they’ll push for a decriminalization bill to be introduced in the legislature early next year. At a press conference on Wednesday, the group behind the campaign, Treatment First Washington, said it intends to announce a lead sponsor for the proposal within the next month, ahead of the legislative session that begins in January. “We in Washington State are encouraged by the results of Oregon having approved a measure, Measure 110, which makes Oregon the first state to treat drug possession cases as a public health issue and not a crime,” said Christina Blocker, the group’s communications director. “We’re excited about that work. We are excited about what that means.” Oregon’s landmark decriminalization law, leading by a 59–41 margin as of Thursday morning, will remove criminal penalties for misdemeanor drug possession offenses and instead impose either a $100 fine or a requirement to complete a health assessment within 45 days. It will also use existing…

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Source : Washington State Campaign To Decriminalize Drugs Gets Boost From Oregon Victory

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