(Portland, OR)  --  The Oregon State Sheriffs' Association is reversing its position on the severity of punishment for people caught with a "user amount" of drugs.  The association is now saying those offenders should be charged with misdemeanors and receive treatment.  The organization says felonies associated with those low-level offenses result in unintended and collateral consequences, including barriers to housing and employment and a "disparate impact on minority communities."  The sheriffs say they want to work with lawmakers and prosecutors to develop a more "thoughtful approach" to drug possession when it's the only crime committed.