"Oregon Governor Signs Bill Recriminalizing Drugs, Reversing Voter Initiative"

Oregon's Governor Tina Kotek signed a bill into law that recriminalizes the possession of small amounts of drugs, reversing a 2020 voter-approved measure that decriminalized personal use possession. The new law makes possession a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail but also encourages diversion to addiction and mental health services instead of the criminal justice system. The shift comes after implementation issues with the previous decriminalization law, including slow distribution of funds for addiction services and a rise in deadly overdoses amid the fentanyl crisis.