Will reducing or removing the criminal penalties for drug possession lead to greater use?

Hypothesising an alternative: Applying the scientific process to drug policy
David Nutt's Blog: Evidence not Exaggeration
Friday, June 29, 2012

We should decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use for the following simple reasons: (1) If users are addicted then they are ill, and criminal sanctions are an inappropriate way to deal with an illness; (2) If they are not addicted then criminalisation will almost always lead to greater harms to the user than the effects of the drug. For example, it can severely limit career options in public service and prevent travel to some countries particularly the USA.