Category: Recovered

Reality:

Prohibition is even more damaging. Prohibition of alcohol backfired and was a greater cost to society than legalizing it was.

To quote The Guardian, “Those behind Prohibition saw a ban on the sale of ‘intoxicating liquors’ as a crusade against a moral evil. But the big winners were Al Capone and the mob.”

With tobacco, smoking rates have fallen to new lows, thanks to regulation and taxation. Regulation and taxation of marijuana is a better approach than prohibition.

Myth:

This bill has no regulation on how marijuana is advertised.

Reality:

Limitations on marijuana advertising would be extremely strict.

The restrictions are almost identical to those for beer, wine, liquor and cigarettes. For example, it bans advertising in places frequented by youth.

(For more details on the restrictions in advertising, see Section 7(2)(g) of the initiative.)

Myth:

Under the New Approach Oregon Measure, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) cannot deny licenses from someone if the person has a conviction for selling drugs, multiple DUIs or various other reasons.

Reality:

The OLCC can deny licenses to anyone convicted of any law if that conviction is “related to the fitness and ability of the applicant to lawfully carry out activities under the license.”

The OLCC also has authority to deny licenses to applicants for many other reasons. The measure also provides the agency with broad rule-making authority to regulate, inspect and audit applicants and licensees. (Source: Section 29(2)(D) and Section 7 of the initiative.)

Myth:

Current marijuana laws do not unfairly target people of color in Oregon.

Reality:

There are huge and unjustified racial disparities in how current marijuana laws are implemented.

According to an ACLU analysis of FBI crime statistics, billions are wasted on racially-biased arrests because we treat marijuana use as a crime. People of color in Oregon are 2.1 times as likely to be arrested even though there is not any difference in frequency of use between the races, according to the ACLU’s analysis, “The War on Marijuana in Black and White”.
Current drug laws unfairly target people of color in Oregon. Find out more about the initiative to legalize and regulate.

Myth:

Marijuana-related offenses are not a major cause of arrests in Oregon.

Reality:

Police bust people for marijuana use in Oregon all the time. According to the Oregon State Police, police arrested and issued citations for 12,808 people for marijuana in 2012, the most recent year for which data is available. (Source: Oregon State Police, (PDF) page 4-10).

That’s like one person every 39 minutes. These arrest numbers have risen by 45 percent in recent years, according to a report by the ACLU on state crime reports.

An analysis by the Oregon ACLU of Oregon State Police data (PDF) also found that 90 percent of the marijuana possession incidents in 2010 involved less than one ounce.

Oregonians are constantly being arrested under Oregon’s current, broken drug laws. Learn more about our initiative to legalize and regulate here.

Myth:

Although Colorado saved $12m-$40m in law enforcement savings after legalization, Oregon can’t expect the same because our laws are more lenient.

Reality:

Colorado’s laws were actually more lenient than Oregon’s, which suggests that law enforcement in Oregon would save even more money than law enforcement saved in Colorado.

Before Colorado passed their Amendment 64 — the measure to regulate, legalize and tax marijuana in that state — possession of less than one ounce of marijuana was punishable by a maximum fine of only $100. (Source: Colorado Revised Statutes prior to November 6, 2012 at 18-18-40 on page 35.)

In Oregon, possessing less than one ounce of marijuana is a criminal infraction and a $650 fine. Regulating, legalizing and taxing marijuana in Oregon will save Oregon law enforcement money.

Reality:

Measure 91 does not change current DUI laws. In fact, since legalizing adult recreational use of marijuana, Colorado’s highways are getting safer. Fatalities are down in 2014 from the same point in 2013. Highway fatalities are occurring at a 48% less rate than they were in 2002.

(Source: Colorado Department of Transportation, 2014 statistics so far, 2013 statistics and historical trends.)

Myth:

We have only six people behind bars for marijuana use in Oregon.

Reality:

That’s off by a factor of 29. According to the the Oregon Department of Corrections, the number of people behind bars for marijuana as of this writing is 174. This number only applies to people in state prison, not people in federal prison or county jail.

The Department of Corrections does not specifically provide data online about the number of people behind bars for marijuana. We got this information in response to a records request to the Oregon Department of Corrections.

Locking a person up behind bars in Oregon costs taxpayers about $30,000 a year. Lots of people are behind bars for marijuana use in Oregon, and it’s a waste of our money. Learn about the initiative to legalize and regulate to save taxpayer money.

Myth:

Treating marijuana use as a crime doesn’t lead to violence in Oregon.

Reality:

It does leads to violence. The Oregonian investigated this thoroughly in a six-part series of stories that, according to the Pulitzer Prize judges, “revealed how lethal Mexican drug cartels infiltrated Oregon and other regions of the country.” For a good overview on how these cartels operate, read more here.

Treating marijuana use as a crime brings money to the black market and fuels violence.

Travel as a Political Act: Tour of Oregon so far

By Rick Steves

Last night, I had the privilege of speaking to about 300 people in downtown Salem at the Grand Theater. Just a few blocks from the Oregon capitol building. I was introduced by Sammy Basu, a professor of politics at Willamette University. It was a thrilling talk. It is always exciting to share my perspective and the stories of my travels and how it relates to drug policy in the United States, but even more thrilling because of the questions that came from the audience at the end.

There was a former prosecutor in the audience who shared his personal experience with the imbalance of our justice system when it comes to even small crimes. When a poor kid and wealthy kid are arrested for marijuana the outcomes are vastly different. The wealthy kid has parents who can help him navigate the system, ensure that he dresses nicely for court appearances, pay for a lawyer, and help translate the complexities of the legal system. A poor kid may not even have a ride to court, let alone a lawyer to help them through the legal process.

Treating marijuana as a crime has failed and it’s failing our kids, it’s setting young people back early in their lives, leaving them behind for the rest of their lives. This is true in cities across Oregon just like Salem, and in my home state of Washington. More than 13,000 people were arrested or cited in Oregon last year for marijuana; the war on drugs isn’t working.

Inconsistent enforcement of a law erodes respect for law enforcement and for the legal process. Let’s stop wasting police resources and refocus their efforts on serious and violent crimes and vote YES on Measure 91. Marijuana use is a serious, expensive and persistent challenge in our society. And it’s time for a new approach. That’s why I co-sponsored the initiative that legalized the responsible adult use of marijuana in Washington state two years ago.