drug decriminalization
Penalties removed, not permitted
Drug decriminalization is the removal or reduction of criminal penalties for drug possession or use, while typically keeping production and distribution illegal.
Unlike legalization, decriminalization doesn't make drugs legal—it shifts enforcement from criminal prosecution to civil penalties like fines or mandatory treatment: Portugal's drug decriminalization reduced overdose deaths.
The policy treats drug use as a public health issue rather than a criminal one.
- legalizationMaking something lawful
- marijuanaPsychoactive hemp plant
- cannabisPsychoactive hemp plant
- reformImprove by correcting faults
- PortugalIberian Peninsula republic
harm reduction · public health · addiction · policy · overdose · sentencing · possession · heroin · opioids · rehabilitation · treatment · prison · incarceration · prison reform · trafficking · narcotics · law enforcement · justice
drug decriminalizationdrug prohibition
Laws criminalizing certain substances
drug decriminalizationdrug legalization
Permitting controlled substances officially
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