DECRIMINALIZATIO

N OF THE
POSSESSION OF
CERTAIN DRUGS
Some states have begun to decriminalize the
possession of certain drugs like marijuana. Is
this a good idea?

Gabriela Caldeira
International Language Academy of Canada
December 21, 2021
Pathway 3
Maral Rashidi
Limited adults possession and growing allowed, no regulated production or sale: DC
(NCSL National Conference of State Legislature - June, 2021)
What do you guys think
about it?

Do you agree or disagree with

this?
Agenda
• Introduction
• Medicinal Use
• Reduced Crimes and Prisons
• Amount of Taxes
• Counter-argument
• Refuting the Counter-argument
• Conclusion
• References
 Introduction
What is drug decriminalization?

According to the We Are The Drug Policy Alliance website

"Drug decriminalization would eliminate criminal penalties
for: Drug use and possession; Possession of equipment used
to introduce drugs into the human body, such as syringes;
Low-level drug sales."
 Medicinal Use
The use of marijuana, for example, in medical cases, not
only helps to alleviate pain and suffering. According to the
NCBI - National Center for Biotechnology Information
website, marijuana use can help " on physical and mental
health as well as its interference with social and occupational
functioning."
 Reduced Crimes and Prisons

In places where it is a crime to possess these

drugs, even if in a minimal amount for use, the
number of people on prison is higher, because
illegal purchases happen more often
 Amount of
Taxes
With the rise and growth of legalized sales outlets for
branded drugs, such as marijuana, the number of taxes
the government will receive increases.
 Counter-argument
According to the website The Guardian for 200 years, the
state of Oregon began to decriminalize the possession of
hard "The Oregon drug initiative will allow drugs arrested
with small amounts of hard drugs to avoid going to trial
 Refuting the Counter-
argument
What is happening in Oregon is a fact that you have to be
careful, but it is an isolated fact, an experiment that is
working in other 14 states that there has already been a
decriminalization of dorgas levels.
 Conclusio
n
The decriminalization of possession of small amounts of soft drugs, such as marijuana, is
indeed a positive factor, for societies and the people who live in them.
 Reference
s
We Are The Drug Policy Alliance (n.d.) Drug Decriminalization
https://drugpolicy.org/issues/drug-decriminalization

Mo Med. - Article by several doctors (March-April, 2012) Legalization, Decriminalization & Medicinal Use of
Cannabis: A Scientific and Public Health Perspective
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6181739/

Sam Levin and agencies (November 4, 2020) Oregon becomes first US state to decriminalize possession of
hard drugs
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/03/oregon-drugs-decriminalize-arizona-new-jersey-marijuana

Michael Hartman (July 6, 2021) Cannabis Overview

https://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/marijuana-overview.aspx
 Reference
s
German Lopez (July 10, 2019) 15 states have decriminalized — but not legalized — marijuana
https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/8/20/17938358/marijuana-legalization-decriminalization-states-map

Nicole Daniels and Natalie Proulx (December 2, 2020) STUDENT OPINION - Should the United States
Decriminalize the Possession of Drugs?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/learning/should-the-united-states-decriminalize-the-possession-of-
drugs.html

Kevin Doyle (November 17, 2020) Decriminalization could help ease the nation’s drug epidemic, but the devil
is in the details
https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/17/drug-decriminalization-could-help-ease-the-nations-drug-epidemic-but-
the-devil-is-in-the-details/

S B Duke; A C Gross (n.d., 1996) Legalizing Drugs Would Benefit the United States
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/legalizing-drugs-would-benefit-united-states-legalizing-
drugs-p-32