Kyle Jaeger, writing for Marijuana Moment:
The measure, titled the “Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act,” places an emphasis on the need to treat drug addiction as a public health issue, rather than a criminal justice matter. Possession of small amounts of illegal substances, including heroin and cocaine, would be considered a class E violation, punishable by a maximum $100 fine and no jail time.
There would be an option to avoid the fine by completing a health assessment through an addiction recovery center. That process would involve a substance use disorder screening from a licensed health professional.
It’s great to see wide-sweeping drug decriminalization measures happening at the state level. These changes would only impact users, though—manufacture and distribution would still be felony offenses. And it’s not a done deal yet:
Advocates are still in the early phases of determining whether they will be able to mount a well-funded effort to qualify the measure for next year’s ballot.
Stay tuned.