⁄From the Editor⁄ Checking In With Measure 110 AFTER OREGON VOTERS passed Measure 110 in 2020, two narratives quickly took hold. The piece that got the lion’s share of attention was decriminalization — whether decriminalizing small quantities of hard drugs was a good idea to begin with, and whether it worked in practice. Oregon legislators did away with that reform this spring, with many blaming M110 for the increased visibility of public drug use in communities throughout the state, though the law only decriminalized possession of certain drugs and public use remained illegal. (Public use also hasn’t appreciably waned since HB 4002 took effect in April — at least not in my neighborhood.) Bundled in with Measure 110’s groundbreaking decriminalization experiment was the promise of increased funding for addiction treatment services, which stakeholders on all sides of the issue say have been drastically underfunded for decades. By 2022 a second narrative on Measure 110 had taken hold. A series of news stories and a damning audit from the Secretary of State’s office underscored that the state was struggling to implement the law’s far less controversial reform: diverting cannabis taxes to the coffers of organizations that provide drug treatment. This spring I asked staff writer Garrett Andrews to get an update on what’s happening with that funding. He ended up zooming in on how funds set aside by the measure have affected one rural Oregon community. In Burns, where the increased prevalence of fentanyl has had a devastating effect, people seeking treatment have some access to clean and sober housing, and access to employment at the Fresh Start Café. The resulting story, “Funding From Measure 110 Fuels Transformation in Harney County” (p. 26), doesn’t comprehensively account for every dollar of funding promised to stakeholders. But it does show us what one community is doing with the funding — and it gives us a sense of what’s possible amid a drug epidemic whose effects have devastated communities throughout the state. VOLUME 47 ⁄ NUMBER 6 OREGON BUSINESS (ISSN 02798190) is published 8 times per year, monthly except Mar/Apr, Jul/Aug and Oct/Nov/Dec issues, by MEDIAmerica Inc. at 12570 S.W. 69th Ave., Suite 102, Portland OR 97223. Subscription inquiries should be directed to 503-445-8811. Subscription charge is $24.95 per year, $49.95 for two years in the USA. Single copies and back issues available at above address and at selected newsstands. The editor is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. Copyright © 2024 by MEDIAmerica Inc. All rights reserved. All material is protected by copyright and must not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Printed in Oregon. Periodicals Postage Paid at Portland, OR. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Oregon Business, 12570 S.W. 69th Ave., Suite 102, Portland OR 97223 EDITORIAL EDITOR Christen McCurdy christenm@oregonbusiness.com ART DIRECTOR Joan McGuire joanm@oregonbusiness.com STAFF WRITER Garrett Andrews garretta@oregonbusiness.com STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jason E. Kaplan jasonk@oregonbusiness.com COPY EDITOR Morgan Stone CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Hansary A. Laforest, Amy Milshtein PUBLISHING PUBLISHER Courtney Kutzman courtneyk@oregonbusiness.com EVENTS MANAGER Craig Peebles craigp@oregonbusiness.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Evan Morehouse evanm@mediamerica.net ADVERTISING AND PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Greta Hogenstad gretah@mediamerica.net DIGITAL PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Alison Kattleman alisonk@mediamerica.net PRESIDENT AND CEO Andrew A. Insinga CONTROLLER Bill Lee BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN André W. Iseli PRESIDENT Andrew A. Insinga SECRETARY William L. Mainwaring TREASURER Win McCormack 6
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==