Joe Biden ‘not doing enough’ as Democrats demand more drug decriminalisation: 'Push aside these radical voices'

It comes as states like Oregon take a radical approach to tackling the issue by softening drug laws and instead funding rehabilitation measures.

Rantz said suggestions Biden has “emboldened” issues like deadly gang violence are not fully accurate, but added the US President has not helped the situation.

“President Biden hasn’t down enough to stop it”, he said.

“I wouldn’t say he has emboldened it. Early on, when he started running he was dancing with the defund movement.

“He has pushed back against that but not loud enough. He isn’t doing anything in the party to push aside these radical voices who have been pushing these policies and amplifying the talking points.

“Unless he is going to lead there, he isn’t doing enough.”

Oregon led the US with a first-in-the-nation law that decriminalised the possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs.

The state is instead emphasising efforts on addiction treatment after the law was approved by 58 per cent of Oregon voters three years ago.

According to Rantz, it is minority communities that are being disproportionately affected by rising levels of addiction on homelessness.

“No matter how you slice the data, that is almost always the case when you look at the micro level or the macro level”, he said.

“The disproportionate number of victims are coming from first, the black community, then the Hispanic community.

“That’s what the data says, so they’re going to have to spare me all this nonsense about how the criminal justice system disproportionately impacts people of colour.”

Those caught with small amounts of drugs are often only subject to a small fine, which can be dismissed by calling a 24-hour hotline to complete an addiction screening.

State auditors found that in the first year after the law took effect in February 2021, only one per cent of people who received citations for possessions sought help via a helpline.