Candidates at Washington town hall debate decriminalization, descheduling and implementation

An attendee asked candidates how the Libertarian Party should respond to decriminalization rollbacks in Oregon and public-safety concerns about encampments and public drug use.

Mike Termont said the core problem is implementation: states must design rules (licensing, local control and enforcement) that avoid recreating black markets. "The biggest problem ... was the implementation," he said, arguing for limiting state interference and for local decision-making.

Lars Matstead said federal drug laws should be eliminated and states should decide their own approaches, calling for descheduling and education to reduce the "rebel" appeal of drug use. "We absolutely have to deschedule all drugs at the federal level," he said.

Chase Oliver emphasized harm reduction and mutual-aid approaches, citing community programs such as distribution of Naloxone (Narcan) and drug-checking services and pointing to Portugal as an example where decriminalization coincided with reduced harm. "We need to support direct and mutual aid that helps addicts get the help that they need," he said.

Joshua Smith criticized federal drug policy as a historic failure that led to encampments and social harms, while Charles Belay urged tougher measures and raised homelessness, zoning and employment as contributing factors.

Candidates offered a mixture of harm-reduction proposals, calls for state discretion, and critiques of federal intervention. The exchange underscored that while many Libertarian candidates favor ending the war on drugs, they differ on how to address the public-safety consequences that voters cite.