Will Lathrop, a Republican candidate for the position of Oregon's attorney general, has expressed his concerns over the state's Measure 110. He believes that this measure has negatively impacted the community and facilitated Mexican drug cartels in amassing substantial profits. In a recent post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Lathrop pledged that, if elected as attorney general, he would prioritize eradicating these cartels from Oregon.

In another post on X, Lathrop cited an Oregon sheriff's claim that the Mexican drug cartels have specifically targeted Oregon due to Measure 110. He quoted the cartels' portrayal of Oregon as a state where "everyone does drugs and nobody gets in trouble."

Will Lathrop on X (Twitter) | https://twitter.com/LathropWill/status/1759634182681338346

According to an article by OPB from 2020, Measure 110 made Oregon the pioneer state in the U.S. to decriminalize personal possession of illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, and methamphetamine. This new law treats possession of small amounts of drugs as a civil violation akin to a traffic offense. Under Measure 110, offenders are liable to pay a $100 fine which can be waived off simply by undergoing a health assessment. However, it is important to note that selling and manufacturing drugs remains prohibited.

Lathrop criticized Measure 110 in his post on X, describing it as "the unmitigated legalization of the most dangerous and addictive drugs in history." He argued that it has created "economic conditions that enable the cartels and drug traffickers to profit millions of dollars by crushing families and communities across Oregon."

Lathrop outlined his strategy via X stating that as attorney general, he would focus on strengthening the Organized Crime Division and combating drug trafficking prevalent in Oregon. His ultimate aim would be to permanently remove the cartels from Oregon.

KQEN, a local Oregon news station, reported that Lathrop registered as a Republican candidate for the position of Oregon attorney general last year. He is a sixth-generation Oregonian with nine years of experience as a deputy district attorney in Yamhill and Marion counties. In addition to his legal career, Lathrop has also worked with the International Justice Mission in Uganda and led anti-human trafficking efforts in Ghana.