CRITICS of decriminalisation of drugs often argue it will lead to dramatic increases in use and overall harm.
But a recent report by drugs law charity Release pointed out decriminalisation is often confused with the idea of legalising drugs or completely removing all sanctions.
There is no clear definition of what decriminalisation means, with policies varying from country to country, but in essence it means possessing small amounts of drugs will no longer lead to a criminal record or jail sentence.
For example, Mexico allows the possession of up to 0.5 grams of cocaine without prosecution, while in Spain the amount permitted rises to 7.5 grams.
The sanctions which can be imposed also vary widely from country to country, such as fines, education classes, travel banks, termination of benefits or no penalty at all.
Some countries such as the Czech Republic allow the police to issue fines for small drug offences, similar to a speeding ticket. However, in Brazil, for example, individuals arrested for drug offences still have to appear before a judge in court to determine the charge.
Report authors Ari Rosmarin and Niamh Eastwood concluded around 25 to 30 countries around the world have some formal decriminalisation policies in place.
They noted: "The recent trend towards decriminalisation has not been centred on one continent or in richer or poorer nations – countries as disparate as Armenia, Belgium, Chile, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Mexico and Portugal, among others, have all adopted some form of decriminalisation policy in the last decade or so."
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