Drug Reform Measures Reach State Ballots, Despite Pandemic

Proponents of the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act in Oregon turned in signatures for the ballot initiative last month. This week, the measure qualified for the November election.

Drug-related ballot measures appear likely to reach voters in several states, even after the pandemic interrupted peak season for collecting signatures.

The year started with what legalization activists considered a “dream map” to reform drug laws in states across the country. Those efforts dropped off as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Even so, many efforts pressed on with masked, gloved signature collectors using new social distancing protocols, sanitizer . . .