The first thing you need to know is that legalization derives from the verb legalize, which has its etymological origin in Latin. It means "to make it permitted by law" and is the result of the sum of several lexical components of that language:
-The noun "lex, legis", which can be translated as "law."
-The relationship suffix «-alis».
-The suffix "-ize", which is equivalent to "convert into".
Legalization is the act and consequence of legalizing . This verb (legalize), in turn, refers to granting legal status or certifying the authenticity of a signature or documentation .
Among the words that can function as synonyms for legalization we find confirmation, approval, endorsement, certification, legitimation and signature. On the contrary, among its antonyms there are terms such as disapproval, prohibition or disavowal, among others.
When legalizing refers to giving something the status of legal, legalization implies that what has been legalized now becomes permitted by law , while before the process it was prohibited. With legalization, in this way, a crime or infraction ceases to exist.
Take the case of Indian hemp , better known as cannabis or marijuana . Although it depends on each legislation , in general it is a plant whose cultivation, possession, marketing and consumption are prohibited due to its psychoactive properties. Faced with this reality, there are groups that promote its legalization since they ensure that this plant species does not cause addiction, is not harmful and is even beneficial for health in many cases. If unrestricted legalization of marijuana is achieved, it would be permitted to grow and sell the plants and consume it in cigarettes or in other ways.
The legalization of abortion is another frequent cause of debate in many countries . In this case, it is analyzed whether the voluntary interruption of pregnancy should be punishable by law or if, on the contrary, the woman can voluntarily say whether to continue with the pregnancy until giving birth. When abortion is classified as a crime, the surrogate mother is not authorized to interrupt the pregnancy nor is any person authorized to produce such an interruption. On the other hand, with the legalization of the practice (usually under certain requirements), stopping the progression of pregnancy is possible within the framework of the law.
In addition to the issue of marijuana and abortion, another of the issues that has aroused the most interest and that has brought the most actions to legalize it is marriage between people of the same sex. At this moment, we have to establish that today it is legal in approximately 30 countries around the world. Specifically, Europe is the continent that has the most countries where the aforementioned marriage is fully permitted and legalized.
On the contrary, in Asia there is only one country that allows it. We are referring to Taiwan. And something similar happens in Africa and it is only legalized in South Africa.
Likewise, it must be recognized that Holland was a pioneer country in the legalization of homosexual marriage. He was the first to achieve it and he did it back in 2000. Then, Belgium, Canada and Spain followed.
The legalization of a document or a signature , meanwhile, involves subjecting the material to certain formal requirements to grant it validity. By legalizing the content, it is considered official or accepted by law.