Seized heroin is seen at the Centralia Police Department in June 2014.
Oregon will become the first state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of hard drugs, including heroin, cocaine, oxycodone and other substances.
Residents on Tuesday voted to pass Measure 110, which also expands addiction services using the state’s marijuana tax revenue.
“Today’s victory is a landmark declaration that the time has come to stop criminalizing people for drug use,” said Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which baked the measure.
The Oregon Drug initiative will allow those arrested with small amounts of certain hard drugs to avoid going to trial – as well as possible jail time –by paying a $100 fine and attending an addiction recovery program. The treatment centers will also be funded by revenues from legal marijuana, which was legalized statewide.
Voters also approved Measure 109, which legalizes the therapeutic use of psilocybin, or psychedelic mushrooms.
While several cities, including Denver, Colo., and Oakland, Calif., have decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms, Oregon is the first to permit supervised use statewide.
Another five states legalized marijuana this week. New Jersey and Arizona passed measures legalizing marijuana for adults 21 and older. South Dakota on Tuesday voted to authorize both recreational and medical marijuana.
Mississippi and Montana also voted to approve similar measures.
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