Decriminalization

Decriminalization or decriminalisation is the legislative process which removes prosecutions against an action so that the action remains illegal but has no criminal penalties or at most some civil fine.[1] This reform is sometimes applied retroactively but otherwise comes into force from either the enactment of the law or from a specified date. In some cases regulated permits or fines may still apply (for contrast, see: legalization), and associated aspects of the original criminalized act may remain or become specifically classified as crimes. The term was coined by anthropologist Jennifer James to express sex workers' movements' "goals of removing laws used to target prostitutes", although it is now commonly applied to drug policies.[2] The reverse process is criminalization.

Decriminalization reflects changing social and moral views. A society may come to the view that an act is not harmful, should no longer be criminalised, or is otherwise not a matter to be addressed by the criminal justice system. Examples of subject matter which have been the subject of changing views on criminality over time in various societies and countries include:

* Abortion (see: abortion law and abortion-rights movements)
* Assisted suicide
* Breastfeeding in public
* Clothing laws (including cross-dressing, see: legal issues)
* Drug possession and recreational drug use (see: drug liberalization)
* Euthanasia (see: legality of euthanasia)
* Gambling (see: gambling age)
* Homosexuality (see: decriminalization of homosexuality and LGBT rights by country or territory)
* Polygamy[3] (see: legality of polygamy)
* Poverty (see: criminalization of poverty)
* Prostitution and sex work (see: decriminalization of sex work)
* Public nudity
* Steroid use in sport
* Suicide (see: suicide legislation)

In a federal country, acts may be decriminalized by one level of government while still subject to penalties levied by another; for example, possession of a decriminalized drug may still be subject to criminal charges by one level of government, but another may yet impose a monetary fine. This should be contrasted with legalization, which removes all or most legal detriments from a previously illegal act.

Many countries have the practice of not imposing prison sentences for that are considered as illegal but a less serious crime under that country's law, such as personal use of cannabis or personal use of certain other drugs without a prescription from a doctor.

## Drug-use decriminalization topics

* Colorado Amendment 64
* Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
* Legal history of cannabis in the United States
* Legality of cannabis
* Marijuana Policy Project
* Psilocybin decriminalization in the United States
* Responsible drug use
* Timeline of cannabis law
* War on Drugs

## See also

| Look up decriminalization in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

|

* Alcohol prohibition
* Decriminalization of sex work
* Drug liberalization
* Drug policy of the Soviet Union
* Legal issues of anabolic steroids
* Legalization
* Liberalization
* Prostitution in Belgium
* Prostitution in New Zealand
* Public-order crime
* Sex worker
* Social libertarianism
* Sodomy law
* Timeline of LGBT history
* Unenforced law
* Victimless crime

## References

1. ↑ "decriminalization" (in en). https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/decriminalization.
2. ↑ M. G. Grant, Playing the Whore (Verso/Jacobin, 2014), p. 112
3. ↑ "Forum focuses on polygamy woes". Deseret Morning News. April 25, 2007. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,660214924,00.html.

* v
* t
* e

Recreational drug use

Major
recreational
drugs|

| Depressants|

* Barbiturates
* Benzodiazepines
* Carbamates
* Ethanol (alcohol)
* Alcoholic drinks
* Beer
* Wine
* Gabapentinoids
* GHB
* Inhalants
* Medical
* Nitrous oxide
* Hazardous solvents
* contact adhesives
* Gasoline
* nail polish remover
* Paint thinner
* Other
* Freon
* Kava
* Nonbenzodiazepines
* Quinazolinones

|

Opioids|

* Buprenorphine
* Suboxone
* Subutex
* Codeine
* Desomorphine
* Krokodil
* Dextropropoxyphene
* Darvocet
* Darvon
* Fentanyl
* Diamorphine
* Heroin
* Hydrocodone
* Hydromorphone
* Dilaudid
* Methadone
* Mitragyna speciosa
* Kratom
* Morphine
* Opium
* Oxycodone
* /paracetamol
* Tramadol

Stimulants|

* Amphetamine
* Arecoline
* Areca
* Betel
* Caffeine
* Coffee
* Energy drinks
* Tea
* Cathinone
* Khat
* Cocaine
* Coca
* Crack
* Ephedrine
* Ephedra
* MDPV
* Mephedrone
* Methamphetamine
* Methylone
* Methylphenidate
* Modafinil
* Nicotine
* Tobacco
* Theobromine
* Cocoa
* Chocolate

Entactogens|

* 2C series
* 6-APB
* Benzofury
* AMT
* MDA
* MDMA
* Ecstasy

Hallucinogens|

| Psychedelics|

* Bufotenin
* Psychoactive toads
* Vilca
* Yopo
* DMT
* Ayahuasca
* LSA
* LSD-25
* Mescaline
* Peruvian torch
* Peyote
* San Pedro
* Psilocybin / Psilocin
* Psilocybin mushrooms

|

Dissociatives|

* DXM
* Glaucine
* Inhalants
* Nitrous oxide
* alkyl nitrites
* poppers
* amyl nitrite
* Ketamine
* MXE
* Muscimol
* Amanita muscaria
* PCP
* Salvinorin A
* Salvia divinorum

Deliriants|

* Atropine and Scopolamine
* Atropa belladonna
* Datura
* Hyoscyamus niger
* Mandragora officinarum
* Dimenhydrinate
* Diphenhydramine

Cannabinoids|

* JWH-018
* THC
* Cannabis
* Hashish
* Hash oil
* Marijuana

Oneirogens|

* Calea zacatechichi
* Silene capensis

Club drugs|

* Cocaine
* Quaaludes
* MDMA (Ecstasy)
* Nitrous oxide
* Poppers

Drug culture|

| Cannabis culture|

* 420
* Cannabis cultivation
* Cannabis smoking
* Head shop
* Legal history of cannabis in the United States
* Legality of cannabis
* Marijuana Policy Project
* Medical cannabis
* NORML
* Cannabis and religion
* Stoner film

|

Coffee culture|

* Coffee break
* Coffeehouse
* Latte art
* Tea house

Drinking culture|

* Bartending
* Beer culture
* Beer festival
* Binge drinking
* Diethyl ether
* Drinking games
* Drinking song
* Happy hour
* Hip flask
* Nightclub
* Pub
* Pub crawl
* Sommelier
* Sports bar
* Tailgate party
* Wine bar
* Wine tasting

Psychedelia|

* Psychonautics
* Art
* Drug
* Era
* Experience
* Literature
* Music
* Microdosing
* Therapy

Smoking culture|

* Cigarette card
* Fashion cigarettes
* Cloud-chasing
* Loosie
* Smokeasy
* Smoking fetishism
* Tobacco smoking

Other|

* Club drug
* Counterculture of the 1960s
* Dance party
* Drug paraphernalia
* Drug tourism
* Entheogen
* Hippie
* Needle sharing
* Nootropic
* Party and play
* Poly drug use
* Rave
* Religion and drugs
* Self-medication
* Sex and drugs
* Whoonga

Drug
production
and trade|

| Drug
production|

* Coca production in Colombia
* Drug precursors
* Opium production in Afghanistan
* Rolling meth lab

|

Drug trade|

* Illegal drug trade
* Colombia
* Darknet market
* Drug distribution
* Beer shop
* Cannabis shop
* Liquor store
* Liquor license

Issues with
drug use|

* Abuse
* Date rape drug
* Impaired driving
* Drug harmfulness
* Effects of cannabis
* Addiction
* Dependence
* Prevention
* Opioid replacement therapy
* Rehabilitation
* Responsible use
* Drug-related crime
* Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
* Long-term effects of cannabis
* Neurotoxicity
* Overdose
* Passive smoking
* of tobacco or other substances

Legality of
drug use|

| International|

* 1961 Narcotic Drugs
* 1971 Psychotropic Substances
* 1988 Drug Trafficking
* Council of the European Union decisions on designer drugs

|

State level|

* Drug policy
* Decriminalization
* Prohibition
* Supply reduction
* Policy reform
* Demand reduction
* Drug Policy Alliance
* Harm reduction
* Law Enforcement Action Partnership
* Liberalization
* Latin America
* Students for Sensible Drug Policy
* Transform Drug Policy Foundation

Drug policy
by country|

* Australia
* Canada
* Germany
* India
* Netherlands
* Portugal
* Slovakia
* Soviet Union
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* United States
* Just Say No
* Office of National Drug Control Policy
* School district drug policies
* California
* Colorado
* Maryland
* Virginia

Other|

* Arguments for and against drug prohibition
* Capital punishment for drug trafficking
* Cognitive liberty
* Designer drug
* Drug court
* Drug possession
* Drug test
* Narc
* Politics of drug abuse
* War on Drugs
* Mexican Drug War
* Plan Colombia
* Philippine Drug War
* Zero tolerance

Lists of
countries by...|

* Alcohol legality
* Alcohol consumption
* Anabolic steroid legality
* Cannabis legality
* Annual use
* Lifetime use
* Cigarette consumption
* Cocaine legality
* Cocaine use
* Methamphetamine legality
* Opiates use
* Psilocybin mushrooms legality
* Salvia legality

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