Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber
Again:I have to disagree with you...
decriminalization
/ˌdēˌkrim(ə)nələˈzāSH(ə)n,ˌdēˌkrim(ə)nəˌlīˈzāSH(ə)n/
noun
There is no reason to give "legal" status to something that should never have been made illegal to begin with.
- the action or process of ceasing to treat something as illegal or as a criminal offense.
"voters approved decriminalization of the drug"
On what do you base our assertion: Decriminalized is basically a civil offense--a step below misdemeanor--and is still illegal?
Decriminalization - Wikipedia
Decriminalization or decriminalisation is the lessening of criminal penalties in relation to certain acts, perhaps retroactively, though perhaps regulated permits or fines might still apply (for contrast, see: legalization).
Legalization - Wikipedia
Legalization is the process of removing a legal prohibition against something which is currently not legal.
The keywords being on "lessens" and one "removes."