increase font size Maine Compass: Why we need to end drug criminalization Mainers who need treatment are instead incarcerated, at a high cost to their futures and our state. By Elizabeth Davis Share Prison sentences for drug offenses in Maine are more common than prison sentences in any other category, according to a recent report by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center. Despite our overreliance on incarceration, we still have an overdose epidemic on our hands. Tragically, in 2020 there were 502 deaths from overdose in Maine. A possible solution to this problem is the decriminalization of drugs. This legislative session, Rep. Anne Perry, D-Calais, is sponsoring L.D. 967, An Act To Make Possession of Scheduled Drugs for Personal Use a Civil Penalty. This bill would decriminalize the personal possession and use of drugs and would aim to reorient the classification of drug use from a criminal issue to a health issue. Those found in possession of a scheduled substance could face a fine of up to $100, or alternatively be referred to a health-care provider to be given a medical assessment for substance use disorder treatment.