New study finds Oregon’s M110 not linked to overdose deaths

Think Out Loud

A new study from Portland State University completes a three-year project looking at the impacts of several drug policy shifts - including Measure 110 - which decriminalized drug possession in Oregon. Among other things, this final study concluded that decriminalization had little to do with rising crime and overdose deaths. Instead, the study found that the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread emergence of fentanyl were the primary drivers behind a surge in drug-related deaths. Brian Renauer, a professor in the Criminology & Criminal Justice Department at PSU, joins us to explain.