[chociej]

Of course it hasn't reduced addiction. The quote from TFA explains it best: "If you take away the criminal-justice system as a pathway that gets people into treatment, you need to think about what is going to replace it."

That doesn't mean that decriminalization is bad, it means you can't ignore public health. Seems uniquely American to assume that just leaving addicted people alone without appropriate healthcare options is going to reduce addiction.