In the last 15 years, efforts in the United States to soften the effects of cannabis prohibitions have focused on allowing the use of cannabis as medicine. Currently, 18 U.S. states and the District of Columbia allow marijuana to be available as a medicine. This is a more extensive step than simple decriminalization because it involves the state’s sanctioning of selling for medicinal purposes. However, it is much more restrictive than legalization, as in Colorado and Washington, since only a specific class of customers can gain access.
- Access to controlled medicines
In May 2013, the Organization of American States released two groundbreaking reports – an analytical and a scenarios report, promoting a balanced approach toward drug control, including the provision of harm reduction, the decriminalisation of people who use drugs, and the need to experiment with innovative drug policies, including regulatory regimes.