[pmoriarty]

"Then word gets out that there’s an open market, limits to penalties, and you start drawing in more drug users. Then you’ve got a more stable drug culture, and, frankly, it doesn’t look as good anymore.”

What's wrong with having a "drug culture" exactly?

"Meanwhile, overdoses this year in Portland, the state’s largest city, have surged 46 percent."

First, Portland is not Portugal.

Second, are the overdoses happening in people who use legal drugs?

From what I understand, overdoses usually happen when people don't know the dose they're getting, which is a consequence of them using illegal drugs which have no quality control and no reliable labeling as to dosage. So not only do you not know what you're getting, but may get a dose that's much larger than you anticipated.

Having access to legal, high quality drugs which are clearly labeled should eliminate most of the risks of unintentional overdose.

[4RealFreedom]

I've made that argument for years. Decriminalization doesn't work because it enables the black market - people should do everything in their power to eliminate the black market. This means real legalization. It's the only way to actually fix the overdose problem. Our number 1 priority should be to keep people from dying. I'm open to harsh penalties on public use, though. This shouldn't be happening in front of schools and in parks.

[dumpsterlid]

Imagine still thinking the war on drugs is a good idea in 2023

[prirun]

I have read that some overdoses occur when an addict gets clean for a while then relapses. They think they can tolerate the same dosage they were taking when they quit but their body can't handle tolerate it now, ie, they have to work back up to that dosage. Not sure how common that is, but better labeling and higher-quality drugs wouldn't help, though I agree, letting pharma companies manufacture street drugs and selling them legally would be a good thing.

[LorenPechtel]

Anyone who was hooked when they enter jail should have a one-day class on habituation to reduce how many fall into this trap.