Drugs Are The Big Winner Of The US Election So Far
"congrats to drugs winning the war on drugs btw, underappreciated result"
The next US President wasn’t the only thing Americans voted on this Tuesday. Residents of Oregon, New Jersey, South Dakota, Arizona and Montana also passed historic drug reform measures.
Oregon has become the first US state to decriminalise personal possession of small amounts of controlled substances like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines, among others. As a result, rather than jail time, people in possession will be subject to a $100 fine or a completed health assessment that have to be completed within 45 days of a violation. Health assessments will be conducted through addiction recovery centres and include a substance use disorder screening by an alcohol and drug counsellor.
This is a big turn away from the ‘war on drugs’ policies which have informed how the US has handled drug issues — moving it from a criminal issue (which has played a large part in creating unsustainably large prison population) to a health issue. The criminal justice commission in Oregon estimates this will decrease the state’s drug convictions by almost 91%.
We won @voteYESon110, the most progressive drug policy reform in US history, w/ 59% of the vote. Being the campaign manager on a new kind of measure, during a pandemic, was exhilarating/stressful/awesome/exhausting. Thank you, Oregon and everyone who made this victory possible!
— Peter Zuckerman (@peterzuckerman) November 6, 2020
congrats to drugs winning the war on drugs btw, underappreciated result
— Hungry Hungry Himbo (@OnlyAWorldAway) November 4, 2020
decriminalizing hard drugs and making an active shift towards a rehab over incarceration is exactly what we need. i’ve seen members of my own family destroyed by hard drugs and then thrown into a system that does nothing but dehumanize and further destroy human life as it is
— ????????? (@orgasmuhtron) November 5, 2020
The measure was put forward in order to tackle Oregon’s high rates of addiction and substance abuse issues among young people. Savings from reduced arrests and incarceration rates, as well as tax from already legal marijuana in the state will subsidise recovery centres, outreach and peer support. Similar reforms took place in Portugal all the way back in 2001, when the country was experiencing high levels of HIV from needle sharing, and an opioid crisis. The following dramatic drops in dangerous drug use has led to Portugal being held up as the model of the future.
In a separate ballot, Oregon residents voted to legalise the use of magic mushrooms (which the American Food and Drug Administration designated as a breakthrough therapy in 2019) at licensed facilities for mental health purposes.
New Jersey, Arizona, Montana and South Dakota all voted to legalise recreational marijuana, joining 11 other states.
Montana and South Dakota have also voted to pass measures which will allow those who are currently serving for marijuana-related charges to apply for re-sentencing, and to have their records expunged. This necessary move comes after many have pointed out the hypocrisy of legalising marijuana which largely white male businessmen economically benefit off of, while leaving largely black people behind in prison for what is now a legal activity.
DO NOT TELL ME THAT JUSTICE IS BLIND. There are black men and women in prison right now that will serve more time for selling weed, a drug rich white people now profit on, than a career criminal who defrauded financial institutions and the United States.
— Krissy (@__Krisssyy) March 8, 2019
This makes me FURIOUS! As so many Black scholars have predicted would happen, after locking up Black & brown kids for marijuana for DECADES, white men are swooping in and legalizing weed in a way where they alone can cash in and profit. pic.twitter.com/wHDXfEi0lb
— Dr. Steven W. Thrasher (@thrasherxy) April 11, 2018
How does Australia compare?
Short answer? It doesn’t really.
In the NT and South Australia possessing small amounts of marijuana is decriminalised. That means, you would be given a warning or small penalty rather than jail time.
In the ACT it is legal to possess up to 50 grams of marijuana, and grow 4 plants per household. Though there are risks of criminal penalty, as being a territory rather than a state, the ACT is also subject to federal law which criminalises such activity.
Something called “in practice (de facto)” decriminalisation is also in place in most states for illegal drugs. This means that although it’s technically illegal to possess or use drugs, police can use their discretion and give you a warning or direct you to an education program rather than convict you of a crime. That can obviously be subject to police biases, and lead to different rules for people of different races for example.
Most Australians support the decriminalisation of marijuana though, and progress in the US could lead to faster reform here as well.