"Oregon Reverses Drug Decriminalization, Recriminalizes Possession"

Oregon lawmakers have passed a bill to recriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs, undoing a key part of the state's first-in-the-nation drug decriminalization law. The measure makes possession of drugs like heroin or methamphetamine a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail, while also aiming to make it easier to prosecute drug sellers and increase access to addiction medication and housing without facing discrimination. The move comes as the state grapples with a deadly overdose crisis, but critics argue that the bill represents a return to the failed war on drugs and could disproportionately impact marginalized communities.