I was visiting Portland from another part of the state in February 2020. On North Mississippi Ave I was approached by a cool Millennial lady collecting signatures for a ballot measure decriminalizing drugs in Oregon. (Did anyone sign the initiative 44 petition outside Portland Metro?) I gave my signature without asking questions. After it qualified for the ballot as Measure 110, I voted yes again. I did not understand what I was voting for. How did decriminalization happen to Oregon? For starters, we have a low-threshold ballot measure system (see more below). And money. A LOT OF MONEY. Measure 110 backers, most from out of state, spent over $6 million. The opposition raised just over $167,000.