This week, Oregon became the first U.S. state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine and other drugs. On Thursday, state lawmakers and advocacy groups in Washington state announced a plan to do the same thing on this side of the Columbia River.
A bill introduced in the state Legislature would make Washington the second state in the nation to legalize the personal use of all drugs, ranging from psychedelic mushrooms to opiates. The measure would also pour state money into treatment and community-based intervention programs, where drug users and people with mental health problems would be referred instead of jail.
