The state of Oregon is the first to decriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs. Those who support the new law say more people will get treatment instead of just being arrested and thrown in jail. Supporters also say people will be more likely to seek help if drugs are decriminalized, resulting in fewer drug related deaths. People who are against the new measure say it will cause a large spike in substance use across the state of Oregon and will make drugs more accessible to youth and children. What do you think? Is this a good idea or not? Leave a comment below – please keep your responses civil and clean! Comments that attack others will be removed. As this law comes into effect this year, the world will be watching as this experiment unfolds. 
https://apnews.com/article/oregon-decriminalize-drug-possession-6843f93c3d55212e0ffbdd8b93be9196
I don’t think this is a good idea because more people will use and get addicted.
It’s a tough call, I agree with guiding people towards treatment instead of locking them in jail. Keep in mind this law does not make drugs legal, which I am totally against, it helps divert them from jail to treatment.
Stargazer, you make a good point. If more people are using then it seems only natural that more will develop addiction. The field of substance use treatment/recovery is essentially split on this topic. Some experts agree with your point saying the rate of addiction will increase while other experts say use and addiction may grow at the beginning when substance use is first decimalized but will taper off to rates lower than what it is under laws making substances illegal.
I think it’s important to divert persons to treatment as early as possible and make the treatment programs mandatory for at least 12-24 months. (If this is what decriminalization is, then I’m for it). Anything shorter is a waste of resources, as studies have shown that treatment programs that work are at least 12 months long. It’s also important to have resources available when the person leaves treatment (half-way house, job training, transportation) so that they can apply what they have learned during their program. If decriminalization is just a reason to purge jails with no consequences for bad behavior then it’s just going to result in more people abusing the system and going back to drug use.