Possession of a controlled substance is abbreviated as “PCS” in Oregon and may be informally referred to as “drug possession.” State Criminal Justice Commission records show that about 9,000 people were arrested each year in Oregon for simple drug possession prior to Measure 110. Possession of a controlled substance can carry heavy fines and result in a long prison sentence, in serious cases of drug possession. Unless you are a licensed entity that manufactures drugs in professional quality, it is illegal to manufacture (or produce, prepare, or process) drugs in the state of Oregon. Drug laws in Oregon fall into three main categories, including illegal possession of controlled substances, illegal manufacture of controlled substances, and illegal distribution of controlled substances. Oregon's new bill may lead drug producers to move their operations to the state because the law on personal possession is a little more flexible.
To be charged with a drug manufacturing charge in Oregon, you don't even have to physically produce a drug; if you package or repackage a drug, you could be responsible for violating this law. The table below shows what charges you would face and the possible maximum penalties under Oregon drug laws. If you have been charged with a drug offense in Oregon, consult a Medford drug lawyer immediately after your arrest. Unfortunately, since drug laws that govern drug manufacturing laws, many people don't know that certain actions or behaviors can qualify as drug manufacturing.
In their strictest form, these laws prohibit drivers from driving a motor vehicle if they have a detectable level of an illicit drug or metabolite of a drug (for example, to be charged with drug possession in Oregon, you must be found guilty, without reasonable doubt, of intentionally possessing the substance). But as in the rest of the country, they have experienced much higher arrest rates for drug possession here than whites. Last fall, Oregon voters decriminalized the possession of small quantities of almost all hard drugs, taking an innovative step away from the model of arrest, indictment and imprisonment for possession that has been a centerpiece of American drug policy since President Richard Nixon declared his War on Drugs 50 years ago a week ago. Measure 110 reduces the personal drug possession charge from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E violation (a non-criminal offense similar to a traffic ticket).
The charge you face for possession depends on the controlled substance or drug you have been caught in possession. If you have been charged with a drug offense in Medford under Oregon drug laws, you may face a sentence that is already set under the mandatory minimum sentencing laws of Oregon Measure 11.
