Haven Wheelock

Wheelock, who has a master’s in public health, is an overdose prevention specialist. She served as a chief petitioner for Measure 110.

Recently, there have been murmurings about the effectiveness of Measure 110. The law decriminalized drugs and uses excess cannabis tax revenue to increase access to lifesaving addiction recovery services. Although it was voted into law one year ago, it has been up and running for less than that. It is too soon to judge its true impact. Why are some doubting the new system? Because society holds up racist systems, and as a society, we are really good at doing what we’ve always done. It took generations to get where we are now as a country: home to a criminal justice system that disproportionately targets people of color; part of a society with systemic racism so deeply ingrained in its marrow that many of us don’t even recognize it. Our fractured behavioral health system didn’t become so overnight; it took decades of disinvestment. We’re changing course with 110, but it’s going to take time to change the system.

By focusing on the low number of tickets police agencies are writing and missed court appearances, we uphold the idea that people who use drugs need to be punished while obscuring the outcomes that matter most. How many lives are saved by having access to care? How many people, especially BIPOC people, are not being targeted by police and having their lives ruined with criminal convictions? It is unrealistic to think that Oregon can undo 50 years of damage from the racist war on drugs so quickly.

However, Measure 110 can claim some early successes:

· Measure 110 removed drugs as an excuse for police to harass people of color. Black, Indigenous and people of color are disproportionately more likely to be arrested and convicted for drug crimes, according to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. Prior to 110 about 9,000 people were arrested for drugs annually — the equivalent of one arrest per hour. A conviction for drug possession can ruin lives, making it harder to get jobs, housing and more. We are confident that 110 will lead to fewer families being negatively affected.

· Low-barrier addiction recovery services are being made increasingly available. Earlier this year, the state distributed $30 million to 70 providers across 26 counties. Advocates worked with lawmakers to secure $302 million for addiction recovery services over the next biennium, as part of a historic behavioral health package that invests nearly $1 billion overall.

Here are some examples of 110 funds in action: The Oregon Washington Health Network just opened three new drop-in peer centers: one in Pendleton, Hermiston and Milton-Freewater, offering low-barrier access to addiction recovery services.

Fresh Out Community Based Reentry Program, which helps underserved and overrepresented Black and African American populations transition from prison back into society, has helped nearly 200 people so far, providing vital supports like rental assistance and job training.

Bridges to Change, an addiction recovery services provider, was set to close its doors in Wasco County. Measure 110 kept them open and helped them expand.

It’s easy to make rash judgments based on incomplete sets of data, and it is much harder to calculate the suffering that has been alleviated, the families kept together, the seeds of hope planted in the minds of those who struggle with addiction and the reduced stigma from finally discussing drug use as a health issue rather than a moral failing. I encourage everyone to let the program show its worth. The outcomes that really matter are lives saved and services rendered.