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Legalization is the process of removing a legal prohibition against something which is currently not legal.

Legalization is a process often applied to what are regarded, by those working towards legalization, as victimless crimes, of which one example is the consumption of illegal drugs (see Drug legalization).

Those opposed to the legalizing of any particular behaviour, action, substance or item will demonstrate that legalization will bring benefits to individuals at the expense of the common good. Taking the above example of drug legalization, those opposed will cite the cost of drug use to a user's children, parents, friends, work colleagues, victims of drugged driving and also to a society's health system.

Legalization should be contrasted with decriminalization, which removes criminal charges from an action, but leaves intact associated laws and regulations.

Proponents of libertarianism support legalization of what they regard as victimless crimes, such as recreational drug use and prostitution.

See also

• Drug liberalization

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