Abstract

One of the biggest debates of our times involves cannabis decriminalization. Looking at the timeline of cannabis laws over the centuries, we see a clear pattern of unanimous outlawing and criminalization all over the world, the process taking decades. This picked up the pace in the last century and the world was unified by the 1961&1971 conventions in ratified criminalization. Fast forward a couple of decades later, many countries made a U- turn and started decriminalizing possession and use or legalizing medicinal use. Today the pattern is clear; more countries are legalizing its use, with no strings attached. Regardless of the moral arguments and legislative processes decriminalization camp seems to be gaining momentum and ground. In this paper, we review the literature available on the plant, its chemistry, the potential benefits and perceived harms of its use and abuse. Finally, we hope to summarize the current views of the legalization and decriminalization camps.

Keywords: Cannabis, Decriminalization, Legalization, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Drug