 [Daily Mail, where America gets its news] - Oregon voters approved a ballot measure in 2020 to decriminalize hard drugs after being told it was a way to establish and fund addiction recovery centers
- The scheme - the first in the nation - went into effect in February 2021, and sees possession of controlled substances classed as a Class E 'violation'
- No longer a felony or misdemeanor, possession now carries a maximum $100 fine, which can be waived if the person calls a hotline for a health assessment
- Yet of the 1,885 people who received tickets for personal possession in the first year, only 91 called the hotline
- On Thursday, state officials provided an update on the scheme and said that they had underestimated the work to dispense grants to healthcare providers
- They said the $300 million scheme had 'potential', but admitted only $40 million in funds have been disbursed
- A Republican representative for the Eagle's Pass area said that in her district there has been a 700% increase in overdoses and a 120% increase in deaths
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