Both these words are all a big part of the way that cannabis is regarded. If you’re curious about what these mean, and if there are any possible chances of getting charges, you’re not alone. Some of these are important to understand, and it’s important that in states that do decriminalize the plant, there is a chance that you could get a misdemeanor, especially if you’re not using it medically. Here is the difference, and what it means for the state of marijuana.
All about Decriminalization
At this point, 27 states currently have some kind of decriminalized version of cannabis. It’s not legal, but if you consume or have it, you won’t get tired or arrested for this. It’s not going to be a big crime, or there may be no problem at all. For example, let’s take New York, if you have less than three ounces of some kind of cannabis, you won’t get in trouble. But if you’re possessing up to 8 ounces, it’s considered a misdemeanor.
New York only partially decriminalized this though. If you’ve got more than 5 ounces, it’s a felony, and you can get arrested and incarcerated. Some states that do have more lenient ideas on this don't apply it everywhere. There is still the civil penalties and fines that come with this, but if it’s decriminalized, it’s not a felony, and you’re not going to be charged with it. You may get charged with an infraction or misdemeanor though. Many as well have been able to get the criminal records that they have expunged in states that have made cannabis decriminalized. Prior felonies for marijuana may impact housing, employment, and the like, and this gets erased from the record.
Some of the time, you can also have a clean state with this, which is great for those who have a history of this, and it also gets rid of the war on drugs.
Legalization
On the flip side, it’s basically legal to use it, and it’s not a crime to use this. There are some types of legalization. First, you have it for recreational or medical usage, and some for medical usage only. The first is less common, which means that only a few states have it. But that means any adult over the age of 21 in possession of this is allowed to use it.
There is a big illegal cannabis market, and if you purchase this on the market even in legal states does lower the quality of the product itself, and it can cause problems with criminal results. Legalizing this lets people get this from dispensaries that are totally legal and kosher.
What’s More Common Right Now
Right now, decriminalization is definitely more common, but currently, about 19 states have legalized the use of this. If you do factor in the medical programs and the legality of those however, medical legalization is becoming way more common too.While legalization, especially through the use of marijuana, is becoming a lot more common, recreational usage still is a major hurdle in some cases.
This is because a lot of people think they’re going to be reckless with this, but to this day, if you operate machinery or drive a car while under the influence, you can face the consequences period.
Some states have voted however to fully decriminalize the use of cannabis, so you won’t even have to worry about jail or getting charges for consuming or possessing even the smallest amounts of weed. But, if you’re constantly repeating, or doing a large amount multiple times, there is still the risk of possibly getting charged and arrested. It’s also important to note that even though the charges for the state may not be levied against the person, there is still the possibility of federal punishment.
The marijuana movement is definitely growing, and we’ve made some great strides. Hopefully, as time goes on, we can see more and more move not just into decriminalization, but also full legalization of this, in order to help keep those who are innocent out of jail and able to not get arrested for this too.
