The decriminalization of drugs is a subject of serious debate in the state of Mississippi. This is an issue that people have strong opinions about. The pros of making drug possession and use legal are weighed against the potential cons. For this reason, it’s a very good idea to study the issue.
Decriminalizing drugs keeps people out of prison
At the moment, drug charges can lead to convictions on felony and misdemeanor charges. This leads to a very high number of people serving long terms in prison for essentially nonviolent crimes. Decriminalization is meant to reduce the number of people in prison. It is also a measure that can relieve taxpayers.
Decriminalization does not apply to the supply or sale of drugs. It merely applies to the use or possession of these substances. The lower the number of people serving time in prison for these offenses, the better. This means that more time and resources can be devoted to treating them for their addiction.
Criminal justice costs can be seriously reduced
The possible decriminalization of drugs could lead to a major change in the way penalties for various offenses are handed down. As noted above, decriminalization applies only to the use and possession of drugs. However, since a large number of cases could now be simply dismissed, this would mean a major reduction in costs for the justice system.
Those that argue against decriminalization tend to do so from a moralistic standpoint. They believe that making the use of drugs legal will lead to a view among people that society endorses the use of these drugs.
However, some major organizations have come out in support of decriminalization. These include the NAACP, World Health Organization, Organization of American States, and several others.
