Oregon lawmakers will secure a golden opportunity to make a difference regarding Measure 110 during the upcoming legislative session that begins Feb. 5.

The drug-decriminalization and addiction-treatment initiative voters OK’d in 2020 needs an overhaul and the sooner this refurbishment can be accomplished the better for Oregonians.

One piece of good news arrived from Rep. Greg Smith, who represents House District 57, recently when he conceded members of both parties see the need for changes in the law.

That’s good because the first step in fixing a problem is to identify it and accept its implications.

Now those who voters elected to the Legislature have to sit down and figure out what those fixes are and move forward. Granted, because this year’s legislative session is short, they won’t have a lot of time to tackle what is, in reality, a big issue.

As it stands now, both parties have developed tweaks to the law. The Republicans are behind suggestions from law enforcement officials to make possession of a small amount of specific illegal narcotics — like heroin and fentanyl — a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum sentence of 364 days in jail or a fine of more than $6,000 or both.

Under this plan, individuals could skip the maximum sentence by enrolling in diversion programs and drug courts.

The plan by the Democrats would make possession of illegal narcotics a Class C misdemeanor with lighter sanctions.

Of the two proposals, the Republican plan makes the most sense but, admittedly, it has its drawbacks.

Still, there is room — if lawmakers put aside partisan politics for once — for compromise and the possibility of developing a plan that works on a number of different levels.

Clearly, at this point, the law isn’t working the way it was intended and throwing more cash at it isn’t a viable solution.

In the end, there must be a set of consequences for those who use illegal substances but those outcomes can provide both a treatment option or a more punitive choice for officials.

Lawmakers have a chance to tackle a pressing issue with effective leadership, debate and action.

Let’s hope they follow through.