Policy Alternatives and the Debate
Policy Alternatives and the Debate – Overview
Amid the debate for drug policy reform, much confusion surrounds the terms legalization, depenalization, decriminalization, and even harm reduction. Each is different and must be properly understood in order to implement suitable drug policies. Harm reduction generally refers to policies...
Legalization
Legalizing a drug removes the prohibition over its production, sale or consumption, albeit with at least some government regulation, as is the case with alcohol. Marijuana is the only drug to have been legalized in some parts of the world,...
Depenalization and Decriminalization
Depenalization differs from legalization in that drugs remain illegal, but possession of small amounts carry minor penalties such as fines or community service, rather than time in jail. Since the 1970s, many U.S. states have depenalized the possession of limited...
Decriminalization & the Portuguese Example
In 2001, the sections of the Portuguese penal code regarding drugs were revised to incorporate an administrative system of fines and treatment plans. Since then, lawbreakers have been ticketed and referred to hearings by a three-member panel, including a legal,...
Depenalizing Trafficking?
Could depenalization be applied to the sale or trafficking of drugs? While such policies might have seemed remote in the past, some governments, including the U.S., are taking nascent steps in that direction. In a measure issued by the attorney...
Decriminalizing Trafficking?
Trafficking-affected countries could go as far as to implement a decriminalization regime. As with the decriminalization of consumption, a different legal framework would be required to replace incarceration with gradated sanctions that would increase in severity with the frequency of...