Editing Drug prohibition (section)

===Calls for legalization, relegalization or decriminalization===
{{Main|Arguments for and against drug prohibition}}
{{See also|Drug liberalization|Illegal drug trade#Effects of the illegal drug trade on societies|Prohibition of drugs#Legal Dilemmas|Harm reduction#Decriminalisation|Prohibition of drugs#Social control}}

The terms relegalization, legalization, legal regulations, or decriminalization are used with very different meanings by different authors, something that can be confusing when the claims are not specified. Here are some variants:

* Sales of one or more drugs (e.g., [[marijuana]]) for personal use become legal, at least if sold in a certain way.
* Sales of an extracts with a specific substance become legal sold in a certain way, for example on prescription. 
* Use or possession of small amounts for personal use do not lead to incarceration if it is the only crime, but it is still illegal; the court or the prosecutor can impose a fine. (In that sense, Sweden both legalized and supported drug prohibition simultaneously.) 
* Use or possession of small amounts for personal use do not lead to incarceration. The case is not treated in an ordinary court, but by a commission that may recommend treatment or sanctions including fines. (In that sense, Portugal both legalized and supported drug prohibitions).

There are efforts around the world to promote the [[drug relegalization|relegalization]] and [[drug decriminalization|decriminalization]] of drugs. These policies are often supported by proponents of [[liberalism]] and [[libertarianism]] on the grounds of individual freedom, as well as by [[leftism|leftists]] who believe prohibition to be a method of suppression of the working class by the ruling class. 

Prohibition of drugs is supported by proponents of [[conservatism]] as well various [[NGOs]]. A number of NGOs are aligned in support of drug prohibition as members of the [[World Federation Against Drugs]].<ref name="WFAD">[http://www.wfad.se/ WFAD members]</ref><ref>[http://www.wfad.se/papers/974-drug-legalisation-an-evaluation-of-the-impacts-on-global-society Drug Legalisation: An Evaluation of the Impacts on Global Society] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113123610/http://www.wfad.se/papers/974-drug-legalisation-an-evaluation-of-the-impacts-on-global-society |date=November 13, 2013 }}, [[World Federation Against Drugs]], 2011</ref> In the WFAD constitution, the "Declaration of the World Forum Against Drugs" (2008) advocates for "no other goal than a drug-free world", and states that a balanced policy of drug abuse prevention, education, treatment, law enforcement, research, and supply reduction provides the most effective platform to reduce drug abuse and its associated harms and calls on governments to consider [[demand reduction]] as one of their first priorities. It supports the UN drug conventions, the inclusion of cannabis as one of the "hard drugs", and the use of criminal sanctions "when appropriate" to deter drug use. It opposes legalization in any form, and [[harm reduction]] in general.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 26, 2009 |title=Constitution of World Federation Against Drugs (Appendix I: Declaration of the World Forum Against Drugs) |url=https://wfad.se/wfad-declaration/wfad-declaration-wfad-declaration/constitution-of-world-federation-against-drugs/ |access-date=Mar 31, 2024 |website=[[World Federation Against Drugs]]}}</ref>

According to some critics, drug prohibition is responsible for enriching "organised criminal networks"<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/voices/2013/09/banning-khat-one-most-dangerous-decisions-made-during-war-drugs New Statesman Banning Khat is one of the most dangerous decisions made during the 'war on drugs' 9 September 2013]</ref> while the hypothesis that the prohibition of drugs generates violence is consistent with research done over long time-series and cross-country facts.<ref name="WhatEconomistsKnow">{{cite book |last1=Dills |first1=Angela K. |title=The Economics of Crime: Lessons for and from Latin America |last2=Miron |first2=Jeffrey A. |last3=Summers |first3=Garrett |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-226-15374-2 |editor-last=Di Tella |location=Chicago |chapter=What Do Economists Know about Crime? |doi=10.3386/w13759 |editor2-last=Edwards |editor3-last=Schargrodsky |s2cid=154952733}}</ref>

In the United Kingdom, where the principal piece of drug prohibition legislation is the [[Misuse of Drugs Act 1971]],<ref name="UK 1">[https://archive.today/20120526214407/http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/legResults.aspx?LegType=All+Legislation&title=The+Misuse+of+Drugs+Act+1971&searchEnacted=0&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0&blanketAmendment=0&TYPE=QS&NavFrom=0&activeTextDocId=1367412&PageNumber=1&SortAlpha=0 ''Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c.38)'', the text of the act, OPSI website, accessed 27 January 2009]</ref> criticism includes:

* ''[[Drug classification: making a hash of it?]]'', Fifth Report of Session 2005–06, House of Commons [[Science and Technology Committee]], which said that the present system of drug classification is based on historical assumptions, not scientific assessment<ref>[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmsctech/1031/1031.pdf ''Drug classification: making a hash of it?'', Fifth Report of Session 2005–06, House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, accessed 29 January 2009]</ref>
* ''Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse'', David Nutt, Leslie A. King, William Saulsbury, Colin Blakemore, [[The Lancet]], 24 March 2007, said the act is "not fit for purpose" and "the exclusion of alcohol and tobacco from the Misuse of Drugs Act is, from a scientific perspective, arbitrary"<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nutt |first1=D. |last2=King |first2=L. A. |last3=Saulsbury |first3=W. |last4=Blakemore |first4=C. |year=2007 |title=Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse |journal=The Lancet |volume=369 |issue=9566 |pages=1047–1053 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60464-4 |pmid=17382831 |author-link1=David Nutt |author-link4=Colin Blakemore |s2cid=5903121}}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6474053.stm?ls#drugs ''Scientists want new drug rankings'', BBC News website, 23 March 2007, accessed 27 January 2009]</ref>
* The ''[[Drug Equality Alliance (DEA)]]'' argue that the Government is administering the Act arbitrarily, contrary to its purpose, contrary to the original wishes of Parliament and therefore illegally. They are currently assisting and supporting several legal challenges to this alleged maladministration.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Drug Equality Alliance (DEA) - Cases |url=http://www.drugequality.org/cases.htm |access-date=February 28, 2022 |archive-date=March 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331092625/http://www.drugequality.org/cases.htm |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

[[File:Cape Town cannabis march.jpg|thumb|People marching in the streets of [[Cape Town]] against the prohibition of cannabis in [[South Africa]], May 2015]]
In February 2008 the then-president of [[Honduras]], [[Manuel Zelaya]], called on the world to legalize drugs, in order, he said, to prevent the majority of violent murders occurring in Honduras. Honduras is used by [[cocaine]] smugglers as a transiting point between [[Colombia]] and the US. Honduras, with a population of 7 million, suffers an average of 8–10 murders a day, with an estimated 70% being a result of this international drug trade. The same problem is occurring in [[Guatemala]], [[El Salvador]], [[Costa Rica]] and Mexico, according to Zelaya.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080226143644/http://www.laprensahn.com/index.php/ediciones/2008/02/23/zelaya_sugiere_a_eua_legalizar_drogas Zelaya sugiere {{not a typo|a}} EUA legalizar drogas]. laprensahn.com (February 23, 2008)</ref> In January 2012 [[Colombia]]n President [[Juan Manuel Santos]] made a plea to the United States and Europe to start a global debate about legalizing drugs.<ref>[http://colombiareports.co/santos-reiterates-call-on-global-drug-legalization-debate-video/ Santos reiterates call on global drug legalization debate]. Colombia Reports. January 29, 2012</ref> This call was echoed by the [[Guatemala]]n President [[Otto Pérez Molina]], who announced his desire to legalize drugs, saying "What I have done is put the issue back on the table."<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/23/world/americas/guatemala-drug-legalization/index.html Guatemalan president leads drug legalization debate]. CNN. March 23, 2012</ref>

In a report dealing with [[HIV]] in June 2014, the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) of the [[UN]] called for the decriminalization of drugs particularly including injected ones. This conclusion put WHO at odds with broader long-standing UN policy favoring criminalization.<ref>[https://www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook/2014/07/illicit-drugs "The WHO calls for decriminalisation"], ''The Economist'', July 17, 2014. With link to "Consolidated guidelines on HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations", WHO, July 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2014.</ref> Eight states of the United States (Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington), as well as the District of Columbia, have legalized the sale of marijuana for personal recreational use as of 2017, although recreational use remains illegal under U.S. federal law. The conflict between state and federal law is, as of 2018, unresolved.

Since Uruguay in 2014 and Canada in 2018 legalized cannabis, the debate has known a new turn internationally.

On March 14th, 2025, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs decided to create a panel of independent experts to rethink the global drug control regime.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Fordham |first1=Ann |last2=Cots Fernández |first2=Adrià |date=2025-03-18 |title=CND68: Historic vote initiates overdue review of UN drug control "machinery" |url=https://idpc.net/blog/2025/03/cnd68-historic-vote-initiates-overdue-review-of-un-drug-control-machinery |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=IDPC |language=en}}</ref>