“Criminalizing substance use disorder and the possession of drugs just disrupts more and more lives, making it harder for people to live healthy and productive lives.”
By Evan Popp, Maine Morning Star
Lawmakers and advocates kicked off a campaign last week to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs and invest in treating substance use disorder rather than punishing it—a push that comes as Maine remains in the grips of a deadly overdose epidemic.
The bill advocates are supporting, LD 1975, was introduced last year but carried over to this year’s legislative session. If passed, the measure would decriminalize the personal possession of schedule W, X, Y and Z drugs, which include substances such as methamphetamine, various opioids, cocaine and other criminalized drugs.
Supporters of the bill say the reform is needed because many Mainers using these drugs are suffering from the disease of substance use disorder. Criminalizing that addiction only pushes a person further away from treatment options, advocates argue. Instead, Maine needs to take the money currently used to enforce laws against drug use and invest it in creating a robust array of treatment options for those with substance use disorder, proponents said during a virtual
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