Oregon governor signs a bill recriminalizing drug possession into law

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has signed into law a bill that recriminalizes the possession of small amounts of drugs. The new law rolls back the state’s previous decriminalization efforts by making so-called personal use possession a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail. It also establishes ways for treatment to be offered as an alternative to criminal penalties. Kotek says the new law’s success will depend on coordination between courts, police, prosecutors, defense attorneys and local mental health providers. Support for the law from Kotek and other Democrats followed growing public and political pressure, as the fentanyl crisis fueled one of the nation’s largest spikes in overdose deaths.