not sure on the production vs. other aspects of marijuana (and that would apply to other narcotics), we'll look into it.
In terms of marijuana literature, decriminalization refers to possession whereas legalization refers to distribution. I'm sure there are better cards, but this is fairly typical of lexis
Duke 13
(Steven B., Professor of Law, Yale; "The Future of Marijuana in the United States," 91 Or. L. Rev. 1301, lexis)
"Decriminalization" is the mechanism of choice for the countries and most states that have sought to de-escalate drug prohibition.
Decriminalization entails sharply reducing to the equivalent of a traffic offense or completely eliminating criminal penalties for the possession and use of small amounts of the drug. No government, however, has ever legalized the drug's distribution, even if that distribution is small-scale and not for profit. Although decriminalization reduces some of the dreadful costs of full-scale prohibition, it retains and could even encourage black-market distribution. n77
Reducing or eliminating penalties for consumers while failing to legalize and regulate distribution could even exacerbate the violence and corruption that are inherent in illegal distribution networks. Alcohol Prohibition criminalized only the manufacture and distribution of alcohol, not its possession or use. n78 It was, therefore, a model of decriminalization. Though a good start toward legalization, decriminalization cannot be the ultimate solution.
good questions--hope to hear more. from consulting with Herndon, legalization will be strongly considered as the action/verb. we will be researching that carefully.
Legalization/decriminalization obviously means different things to each area. For instance, legalization implies a regulatory structure for prostitution whereas decriminalization is simply the absent of penalties.
Miller & Haltiwanger 04
(Coty R., & Nuria, Spring, "Prostitution and The Legalization/Decriminalization Debate," 5 Geo. J. Gender & L. 207, lexis)
Legalization, on the other hand, would allow the government to regulate particular activities regarding prostitution. These regulations could
include for example:
establishing red-light districts, controlling public solicitation, licensing individual workers, restricting the ability to benefit from the earnings of commercial sex workers, and regulating the places in which commercial sex is practiced. n163
Decriminalization, however, takes a much more hands off approach, by accepting all forms of an activity, which was previously illegal, as now legitimate. In the present context, decriminalization "refers to elimination of all laws against prostitution, including laws against those who associate with whores: i.e. madams, pimps, and johns." n164
Here's an example using Nevada
Miller & Haltiwanger 04
(Coty R., & Nuria, Spring, "Prostitution and The Legalization/Decriminalization Debate," 5 Geo. J. Gender & L. 207, lexis)
The first issue of much criticism involves institutionalization of brothel-prostitution.
Unlike decriminalization that would permit all forms of prostitution, the Nevada system only allows and protects prostitution within a licensed brothel. This policy initiative in and of itself eliminates the option of women to work on their own where they would keep their earnings rather than share them with a brothel's management. Many view this institutionalization of brothels as a redefinition of the "pimp-prostitute" relationship, replacing individual pimps with a limited number of brothel owners directly linked to the government. n239 These critics go as far as to say that
the government is now the pimp, controlling "with whom, when, and where the prostitute engages in prostitution through a rigid series of time, place, and manner restrictions." n240
As an aside, finding articles that uses decriminalization in the context of organ sales/trading is difficult relative to marijuana and prostitution. Most of the law reviews and other legal literature uses legalize/regulate because such a process if implemented in the U.S. would be regulated and overseen by medical professionals. If anyone has literature describing decriminalization in terms of organ sales--the topic paper only has legalization evidence--that would be helpful for determining a stem.