Report: Legalizing drugs in Maine will save lives, money

(The Center Square) – Decriminalizing heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs in Maine would save lives and the state government hundreds of millions of dollars, according to a new report.

Released by the Maine chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and Maine Center for Economic Policy, the report makes the case for decriminalizing drugs to prevent fatal overdoses and argues that criminalization has harmed those who use drugs in their families while costing the state money.

“Criminalizing people who use drugs has significant adverse economic and social costs,” the report’s authors wrote. “These policy choices make the possibility of a healthy life less likely for people who use drugs.”

The group points to statistics showing that of nearly 39,000 arrests made by Maine law enforcement agencies in 2019, roughly 1 in 11 – 3,614 – were for drug-related offenses.

“Every year, state and local governments in Maine spend $111 million criminalizing people who use drugs,” the report noted. “The impacted individuals themselves then pay another $33 million towards the cost of criminalization and incarceration.”

Meanwhile, the state is spending more on criminalization of drugs than treatment and prevention, according to the report, which cites budget figures showing that spending on substance-abuse and treatment through the state’s Medicaid program only increased by 2% between 2014 and 2019, while spending on law enforcement increased by 14% during that time period.

Overall, Maine’s law enforcement agencies spend an average of $8,427 for each drug-related arrest, according to the report.

“This amount could cover seven months of rent in Cumberland County, two-thirds of the cost of educating a public school student for a whole year, or four months of intensive outpatient treatment for someone on Maine care,” the report’s authors noted.

Backers of the changes note that Maine reported a record 502 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2020, many of them linked to the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Besides reducing harm, decriminalizing illegal drugs would remove the stigma that many attics deal with as a result of even minor arrests for drug possession, supporters say.

“The criminal record that people get from drug charges means they are forever branded as criminals, making employment, housing and other necessary processes very difficult to get and keep,” the report’s authors wrote.

Several recommendations are in the report in addition to decriminalization, including stepped up investment in treatment and recovery programs as well as improvements in data collection about drug criminalization.

They noted that the state has an estimated $1.3 billion surplus over the next two years, and has received hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government in pandemic aid. That money could be invested along with the savings from decriminalizing drugs to help put people on a path toward recovery, the groups said.

“Maine has a once in a generation opportunity to invest in people,” the report’s authors wrote. “Now is the time to turn away from harmful policies and instead invest in our communities.”

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