Drug policy of Oregon
In 2006, Oregon's drug use per person was higher than the national average, with marijuana, methamphetamine, and illicit painkillers being the most commonly used substances.
[1] Oregon's drug policy has evolved significantly over time, reflecting changing societal attitudes and state responses to substance use.
Other substances like methamphetamine, heroin, and club drugs have posed ongoing challenges, with laws evolving to address production, trafficking, and public health issues.
In Oregon, MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), ketamine, and LSD are available in varying quantities and are generally used at social venues in more populated areas and on college campuses.
Club drugs enter Oregon from a variety of sources: MDMA from Canada, ketamine from Mexico, and GHB and LSD from California.
Mexican traffickers dominate wholesale distribution, transporting the drug from Mexico, California, and other southwestern states.
In 2005, Governor Ted Kulongoski signed legislation[30] that made Oregon the first state to require prescriptions for cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, one of the key ingredients used to make methamphetamine.
[31] The state had previously required buyers to show ID and sign a log when buying cold medicine like Sudafed and Claritin D. The intent of the law was to reduce the number of home methamphetamine laboratories.
Pharmacy burglaries are prevalent throughout the state and Diversion Investigators are also encountering pharmaceuticals that have been purchased via the Internet without a doctor's prescription.
The use and sale of oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet, Percodan), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab), and anabolic steroids are of concern to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Smoking in bars and similar businesses is prohibited in Oregon as of a law that took effect January 2009[43] (SB 571 of the 2007 legislature.
[44]) In 2008, academic researchers began studying waste water at various Oregon sewage plants, to evaluate the drug use of various communities.
Former Oregon lawmaker Kevin Mannix wants to increase these penalties, saying the state "invites" criminal drug activity "by being passive.
[47][48] Mannix's opponents argued that increased mandatory minimum sentences remove judicial discretion and send small-time dealers into expensive prisons instead of drug treatment.
[46] In September 2024, hard drugs were once again reincriminalized in Oregon, though people could now avoid jail time if they choose and are able to deflect into treatment.
