Every state in America has a fentanyl problem, but only the state of Oregon has decriminalized simple possession of all drugs and sent hundreds of millions in legal weed tax dollars to organizations that are trying to heal people. I went to Portland in June, two and a half years after voters approved Measure 110, to see where all that money is going and what the work of healing people really looks like. I spoke to people in recovery, and others living out on the street. There is no sense beating around it: downtown Portland is a shitshow. But along the way, I found both chaos and hope. You can read it at the link in my bio. This was the most difficult and most important story of my career, and it’s also the last one I’ll file at Esquire. After 8 years, the time has come to do something new. I’m thankful for a place that let me interview Pelé when I was 24 years old. I witnessed history at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, at the White House, at the southern border during the family separation crisis. I covered the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show from backstage, and followed the U.S. Men’s National Team to the World Cup in Qatar. I got to chat with Shaq and Tony Hawk and a congressman or two. I went to Glasgow and Mexico City and Milan, and it was technically work. I got to see what I saw and say it in the glossy pages. What a privilege. Now it’s on to the next thing. More on that soon. (photography by @mhansonphoto, who captured the light and the dark here so well)