Keeping marijuana illegal and unregulated has resulted in the unnecessary diversion of limited public safety resources.
According to statewide data collected by the Oregon State Police, there have been over 99,000 arrests and citations for marijuana offenses in Oregon over the past decade – the vast majority for simple possession. That means police and sheriffs are pursuing people who use marijuana and not focusing fully on preventing serious or violent crime.
Arrests and citations for marijuana use and purchase exact great personal costs. There are steep fines for possessing even a small amount of marijuana and many marijuana charges carry the threat of long prison terms. For example, under current law, a person who grows even one marijuana plant for their own use could face up to 10 years in prison. Some people are saddled with a criminal record that creates barriers to employment, housing and student loans.
What’s more, our current marijuana laws are enforced along color lines and create a significant racial justice issue: even though African Americans and white people in Oregon use marijuana at about the same rate, blacks are twice as likely to be arrested or cited than are whites.
It’s time for a new approach, with sensible policies that lift the criminalization of marijuana use for responsible adults – 21 and older – and more sensibly and safely control how marijuana is produced and sold.
- Measure 91 sets up a smart and regulated approach to marijuana that will redirect police and court time to more urgent public safety concerns.
- Measure 91 means that marijuana will be taxed and funds will go to support, among other things, drug prevention programs that currently receive inadequate support.
- Measure 91 supports a more fair criminal justice system.
We urge you to vote Yes on Measure 91.
(This information furnished by Rebecca Straus, American Civil Liberties of Oregon.)