A recent ACLU poll shows Oregonians strongly support reducing drug sentences, prompting a task force from the Attorney General’s office to introduce a new bill to remove felony punishments for small-scale drug possession.
As momentum picks up across the country to just say #NoMoreDrugWar, this is very encouraging news. Treating addicts like criminals has been an utter failure in our country for far too long. It’s time that we start to treat drug use as a health issue and not a criminal one.
Often, small time drug offenders are charged with a felony. As a felon myself, I’ve referred to a felony label as the “scarlet letter F”. Being a felon makes it harder to get a job, get school loans and exist in society. I remember after coaching my sons soccer team for 4 months being asked to fill out an official application so I could continue coaching. It was one of the most devastating messages I’ve ever received when I was told I could no longer coach my sons soccer team because I was a felon- for growing marijuana.
Having a felony conviction on your record for a drug offense is an incredible burden on families and all of society. It is good to see Oregon heading in the right direction. #NoMoreDrugWar
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