Oregon Measure 109 two years in: what's actually working and what isn't
289 replies · Legal & Policy
Oregon passed Measure 109 in 2020, created a regulatory framework, and the first licensed service centers opened in 2023. Now we have some real-world data. From those who've been paying attention: what's working, what's failing, and what does it mean for the broader decriminalization movement?
The cost problem is real and was predictable. Regulated sessions in Oregon run $1,000-2,500 including facilitator fees and service center costs. That price point excludes exactly the populations who might benefit most. The model was built on a clinical-service framework when maybe it needed to include community models.
What IS working: the regulatory infrastructure exists and it's functioning. Background checks, training requirements, service center inspections — all operating more smoothly than skeptics predicted. The legal market is safer than the unregulated one.
The dual-track problem: the regulated market and the underground market are running in parallel, with the regulated market serving primarily affluent clients and the underground serving everyone else. If the goal was harm reduction, you have to ask whether the current framework is achieving it.
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