The U.S. state of Oregon has various policies restricting the production, sale, and use of different substances. In 2006, Oregon's per capita drug use exceeded the national average. The most used substances were marijuana, methamphetamine and illicit painkillers and stimulants.
On February 1, 2021, Oregon became the first state in the USA to decriminalize the possession of small quantities of all illicit drugs, following the passing of Oregon Ballot Measure 110 in November 2020.
Specific drugs
Alcohol
Oregonians consume an average amount of beer and distilled spirits, and an above average amount of wine. As of 2007, the consumption of spirits is on the rise, while beer consumption is holding steady. Also, 11% of beer sold in Oregon was brewed in-state, the highest figure in the United States.
Oregon was the first place in the United States to prohibit alcohol, prior to becoming a U.S. state in the mid-19th century. That law was quickly repealed, but Oregon again preceded the rest of the country in outlawing alcohol, passing a law several years before federal prohibition was enacted with the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Following the repeal of prohibition in 1933, Oregon acted swiftly to regulate alcohol, establishing the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) within days of the repeal. The OLCC continues to regulate alcohol in the state today.
Cannabis
From 1999 through 2005, the ratio of Oregonians using cannabis outpaced the general United States population by 32–45%, with between 6.53% (2000) and 8.96% (2002) of the population using it. In 2003–2004, Oregon ranked among the top five states for cannabis usage of people 12 and older. Oregon is also one of the largest cannabis producing states, ranking fourth in indoor production, and 10th overall in 2006.
In 1973, Oregon became the first U.S. state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis, and in 1998 the state legalized its use for medical purposes. An attempt to recriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis was turned down by Oregon voters in 1997. In June 2010, Oregon became the first state in the country to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II drug when the Oregon Board of Pharmacy voted for reclassification. Recreational cannabis has been legal in the state since July 2015.
Club drugs
In Oregon, MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), ketamine, and LSD are available in varying quantities and are generally used at social venues in more populated areas and on college campuses. Club drugs enter Oregon from a variety of sources: MDMA from Canada, ketamine from Mexico, and GHB and LSD from California. Laboratory seizures indicate some local GHB and LSD production. GHB is also obtained from Internet sources. PCP and Psilocybin mushrooms are generally available in and around cities with a college student population..The possession of LSD, now legal, as for all psychedelic medications are acceptable by public safety and, awareness.(2023).
Cocaine
Cocaine is available throughout Oregon, and crack cocaine is available in some urban areas. Mexican traffickers dominate wholesale distribution, transporting the drug from Mexico, California, and other southwestern states. Retail quantities are primarily sold by Mexican drug trafficking organizations, street gangs, prison gangs, and local independent dealers. In 2007, 63.7 pounds of cocaine were seized by federal authorities, up from 36.4 pounds in 2006.
Heroin
In the 1990s, potent and inexpensive heroin became widely available in Portland; heroin use in Multnomah County rose 600% during that decade.
According to police, in 2008, heroin became more plentiful in Oregon in response to a crackdown on methamphetamine. In 2007, 115 heroin overdoses resulted in death, up 29% from 2006. In 2012 heroin was responsible for 147 deaths, and the leading cause of overdose deaths in the state. The number of deaths is far below the highs of the late 1990s. Most deaths are a result of the user misgauging their tolerance. Heroin is especially lethal because it depresses the central nervous system, unlike cocaine and meth which are stimulants.
In Oregon, black tar heroin comes from Mexico up the Interstate 5 corridor. In 2007, 19 pounds of heroin were seized by federal authorities, more than double the amount in 2006.