THE war on cannabis seems slowly to be burning out. On February 26th it became legal to possess and cultivate small amounts of the drug in Washington, DC. Two days earlier, possession of pot had become legal in Alaska. Four states, as well as the capital, have now voted to legalise the recreational use of marijuana, and a further 19 have legalised it for medical purposes (often rather broadly interpreted). Uruguay has legalised the drug too. Other places have taken a different approach, decriminalising but not legalising. On February 25th Jamaica passed a law decriminalising possession of small amounts of ganja. Several other countries, mostly in Europe and Latin America, have done the same thing; Portugal has decriminalised the possession of all drugs. Many people mistakenly use the terms “legalisation” and “decriminalisation” interchangeably. What is the difference?
