Ben Botkin, Oregon Capital Chronicle
Measure 110 has contributed to the growth of drug treatment and recovery programs, but according to the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, the state could do more to improve the management of the program.
The financial review was mandated by lawmakers. It examines services that will be implemented starting in 2022. This is two years after Measure 110 passed, decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana and allocating a portion of the cannabis revenue to treatment and recovery services.
Since 2022, Oregon has distributed $264 million to 233 providers in Oregon who provide treatment, counseling, and harm reduction. This can include the distribution of clean syringes. The review examined where the money went and what providers reported to state officials. The review did not look at how many people were treated or received services, or the impact on society.
The findings coincide with a Republican call for the repeal of Measure 120 and consideration of necessary changes by Democrats.
In a recent statement, Audits Director Kip Memmott stated that the question everyone has asked since Measure 110 was implemented is: “Is it working?” It’s a difficult question to answer, and much of what is said in the public about Measure 110 falls outside of the scope of this report. There have been some important improvements, but there’s still a lot of work to do.
The following findings were made by state auditors
- It is not clear which providers are receiving funding through the program and whether they are reaching the populations most affected by drug use, like minority communities. The state doesn’t track that.
- The reports from providers vary in their detail, which makes it difficult to assess the overall impact of a system.
- A shortage of workers means that not all providers who received funding can deliver all services.
- When the state chooses grants, youth services are not tracked nor evaluated even though addiction starts before 25 years of age.
Auditors recommended that the Oregon Health Authority (which oversees the implementation of Measure 110) develop a strategy to demonstrate outcomes, and work with providers in order to track and report more details about staffing and services, and whether programs are available for people who speak other languages and cultures. The auditors also recommended the health authority to make the application process more clear and direct, and work with providers and communities to identify the most pressing needs in different regions of the state.
The health authority responded to the report by stating that it agreed with all the recommendations, and was taking steps in order to improve its management of the program.
Ebony Clarke is the behavioral health director at the authority. In a letter to auditors, she told them that the agency plans to improve its grant application process, and collect more data on the program.
The state plans to add another $150 million by June 2025. State auditors will do a second audit of the program by the end 2025.
The secretary of State’s Office released their first audit in January of this year, and found it too early to assess the impact of Measure 110.
When lawmakers meet in February for another short session, the law will be one of their top priorities.
This article was originally published by Oregon Capital Chronicle.
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