Drug deflection program details and constraints take shape [Video]

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon is less than two months away from the recriminalization of most hard drugs. On Sept. 1, it will once again be illegal to possess drugs like fentanyl, meth and cocaine — rolling back a key portion of Measure 110, the law that decriminalized possession of small amounts of those drugs in 2020.

The reversal comes from House Bill 4002, which the Oregon Legislature passed earlier this year. The intent was to leave most of the treatment-focused portions of the Measure 110 intact, but reintroduce criminal penalties with an eye toward compelling offenders into treatment — which is why the new law urges counties statewide to set up “deflection” programs.

The idea is that if someone is caught holding or using hard drugs, …