Episode 41: Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty Talks All Drug Decriminalization and Alternatives to Policing

Drugs and Stuff: A Podcast from the Drug Policy Alliance

As we approach the one-year anniversary of Breonna Taylor's killing, the connection between deeply problematic policing and the criminalization of drugs has never been more apparent. On this episode, we take a deep dive into the changes that some communities are already making. Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty sat down with DPA Senior Staff Attorney Grey Gardner to discuss the exciting new all drug decriminalization law in Oregon, Measure 110, as well as a community safety initiative in Portland that offers an alternative to policing. As a community leader and advocate for the last few decades, Commissioner Hardesty shares her observations on how the drug war impacts policing, and her thoughts on why a drastic change is needed.

For more information on DPA’s work around policing, visit drugpolicy.org/policing.

Special thanks to DPA’s Digital Communications intern Dilara Balkan for her help on this episode.