For 17 years I served as a federal prosecutor, including 7 years as the U.S Attorney for Oregon. As chief federal prosecutor, I led the prosecution of all federal drug cases in this state. I did my utmost to pursue justice and keep Oregonians safe.
I learned firsthand how our current approach to marijuana has failed. By keeping marijuana illegal, we enrich organized crime and violent drug cartels. At the same time, we distract police, who spend too much time arresting and citing people for small amounts of marijuana.
In the last decade, police in Oregon arrested or cited almost 100,000 people for marijuana violations.People of color are cited or arrested at more than twice the rate of whites, despite no difference in the rate of use of marijuana between races. Even if each arrest or citation took only 10 minutes, that’s nearly one million minutes.
One million minutes is the equivalent of two years. Every minute police and sheriffs spend on a low-level marijuana case is time taken away from a case that truly affects public safety.
Yet, police have no choice but to go after marijuana users. Enforcing the law is their job. That’s why the law must change. Our country has spent more than 40 years and $1 trillion fighting the War on Drugs. When it comes to marijuana, the numbers make it clear it’s not working.
Measure 91 is a better way forward for Oregon. Police will have more time to focus on violent offenses. Money spent on legal marijuana will be diverted from the black market and drug cartels. Instead, it will go into legitimate businesses, and the taxes generated will go to essential public services like police, mental health and drug prevention. Plus, Measure 91’s strict regulations provide the protections we need.
Let’s improve our marijuana laws, the right way.
Vote YES on Measure 91.
Kris Olson, Former Chief Federal Prosecutor for Oregon