NCJ Number
159508
Date Published
1993
Length
23 pages
Annotation
Decriminalization, as an alternative to current drug law enforcement policy, represents a break with the use of criminal law as the primary social weapon against drug use, but beyond that there is little agreement among its proponents.
Abstract
Some advocates argue that decriminalization would end prosecutions for small-scale drug possession or sales, while others believe that decriminalization implies the need to medicalize the problem of drug abuse or to legalize all drugs and create a regulated market. This article traces the various phases of the post-World War II debate over decriminalization, and focuses on several components of the contemporary drug policy debate, namely harm reduction and the social costs associated both with drug use and related law enforcement efforts. 56 references