Oregon legislators may not make big changes to the state’s drug policy this session, but one bill that is moving would plug a hole in how fentanyl is treated under the law.

House Bill 2645 would create a new Class A misdemeanor penalty for certain amounts of fentanyl and also change how possession of fentanyl can be proven.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug. It has legitimate medical uses to deal with pain. But that is not what it is known for. It is known for being used illegally and being a killer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is “up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.” And it is a major cause of overdose deaths in Oregon.

The bill fixes a kind of loophole in Oregon law for the range of penalties for possession of fentanyl. The bill allows fentanyl crimes to be charged similarly to crimes with heroin. The bill also allows possession of fentanyl to be proven with possession of pills. The law now requires it by weight.

The bill easily passed the Oregon House and is now in the Oregon Senate. Pass it.