What does it mean when a state decriminalizes cannabis? If we were to pull out a dictionary and look up “decriminalization,” we’d see that it’s “the action or process of ceasing to treat something as illegal or as a criminal offense.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, many states chose to decriminalize marijuana. But this does not mean that it’s legal, either. Here’s everything you need to know about cannabis decriminalization.
The Varying Cannabis Laws
Even in 2024, cannabis legalization falls somewhere between bleak and beautiful, depending on where you reside. In states like California, Colorado, and Washington, cannabis is considered legal for both growing and selling purposes. These states have recreational dispensaries and may allow you to grow up to cannabis plants on private property, such as your home. While the list of states that have legalized marijuana continues to grow, it is subsequently becoming more and more rare for a state to not have a medical marijuana program in place.
The Ladder of Weed Acceptance
There seems to be three levels to cannabis legalization, and they happen in chronological order.
- Level One: Decriminalization
- Level Two: Medical Cannabis
- Level Three: Recreational Cannabis
Meaning, that in states where recreational cannabis is legal, lawmakers have likely already granted Level One and Two. Many states gradually move up the ladder year after year. Others, however, are still stuck on Level One. But, hey, at least it’s some sort of progress.
The Stigma of Weed
In our humble opinion, we think it’s ridiculous that people can be thrown into jail and have a permanent mark on their record for cannabis use. This type of mark can later prevent people from getting jobs or education. They’re seen as “criminals” for something as harmless as cannabis use. This is why decriminalization is so important, as arrests largely impact marginalized demographics above others, perpetuating intersectional subjugation. We say no to this and urge every state to lessen the penalties associated with cannabis.
Will All States Decriminalize Cannabis?
That remains to be seen. The future looks promising as only some states have yet to make the first step toward legalization. We’ll call this Level Zero. We certainly hope that all states will eventually decriminalize cannabis to keep adolescents and teenagers out of juvenile detention centers.
Moving In The Right Direction
Even though cannabis decriminalization may sound like a small step to you, we can’t ignore the fact that cannabis has come a long way in the past decade. We predict that more and more states will gradually take the right steps toward cannabis legalization—full legalization.
