The News
The US state of Oregon ended its experiment to legalize the possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs this month, after a law that had permitted some possession expired.
The move is in line with a broader global trend, whereby national and local governments are reversing recently liberalized drug policies amid a shift in public opinion and a surge of opioid deaths, many linked to illegal fentanyl. Japan is set to criminalize cannabis use from December due to an apparent increase in young people using the drug, while Thailand, the first Asian country to permit marijuana use, recently reversed that decision; meanwhile, Portugal, which took a radical approach to decriminalization, is also reconsidering the long term merits.
SIGNALS
Decriminalization ‘does not replace larger solutions’
Oregon’s rollback of decriminalization in April, considered a failure by drug reform advocates, is a “cautionary tale,” that shows how public sentiment can override scientific consensus on the factors that drive homelessness and how best to treat addiction issues, an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times argued. Written by two drug policy researchers, the piece argues that Oregon’s reversal was perhaps driven more by panic over a perceived uptick in visible drug use and homelessness than hard data. Regardless, the decision shows how even well-intended, science-backed initiatives can backfire amid broader issues, like housing shortages and inadequate health services.
Thailand and Japan move to limit cannabis use, but only in some cases
Thailand and Japan have sought to clearly distinguish medical and recreational use, but both may be putting their nascent and highly lucrative cannabis industries at risk. A June Thai government survey showed 80% of people supported recriminalization, with many citing concerns about youth health, Time reported. Having legalized medical cannabis in 2018 and then recreational use in 2021, Thailand will ban the latter by 2024’s end, a blow to the country’s estimated $2.1 billion marijuana industry. The policy shift has sparked protests and legal threats from businesses that invested in cannabis, and the issue has threatened to split the country’s ruling coalition, Nikkei wrote. Meanwhile, in Japan, new THC limits for CBD products could risk undermining its nascent cannabis industry by bolstering the black market.
Portugal’s radical decriminalization is under scrutiny
In 2001, Portugal legalized the use and possession of certain drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, and heroin, pioneering a shift in the treatment of people who take drugs, from criminals to patients. But while the approach was much-praised for lowering overdose rates and reducing criminalization, and became a model for progressive efforts in Oregon and elsewhere, “Portugal is now having doubts,” The Washington Post wrote in 2023. Overdose rates hit a 12-year high that year, and a rise in visible drug use has spooked many, with 75% of Portuguese perceiving drug use as a problem in their community. “Even proponents of decriminalization here admit that something is going wrong,” the Post noted.