#Oregon law decriminalizing street drugs goes into effect

Oregon’s law decriminalizing small amounts of all street drugs went into effect on Monday — making it the first state in the nation to enact such a measure.

Those found with personal-use amounts of drugs — including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, oxycodone and ecstasy — will now face a $100 fine instead of a criminal charge.

Known as Measure 110, the legislation was overwhelmingly approved by state voters in November. It focuses on providing drug users with treatment through newly funded addiction recovery centers.

“Today, the first domino of our cruel and inhumane war on drugs has fallen,setting off what we expect to be a cascade of other efforts centering health over criminalization,” Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, told the Associated Press.

The law was not without opposition. Two dozen district attorneys argued it would lead to the normalization of dangerous drugs.

Oregon is known to be at the forefront of progressive drug laws.

In 1973, the state became the first in the nation to decriminalize marijuana. Then, in 2014, recreational marijuana became legal in Oregon.

With Post wires