Every year, the National Organization for Reforming Marijuana Laws (NORML) releases a national scorecard that grades the governors of all 50 states based on their words and actions regarding marijuana policy.
Well, it’s 2019 and the new scorecard came out. As the headline says, Greg Abbott got a C-.
Now, a lot of Texas marijuana enthusiasts might wonder how he scored so high. After all, Abbott has been vocal since 2014 that marijuana would not be legalized under his watch. Surely he should get an F. If that was the only factor, indeed he would.
Governor Abbott gets fractional credit for signing the Texas Compassionate Use Act of 2015, a restrictive low THC program for intractable epilepsy only. Funny, a guy who says he will never legalize marijuana, signs the first cannabis bill that hits his desk. And he has a private signing ceremony for it, no less. While we can all agree, the current Texas program is nothing to brag about, and may well be the worst program in the country, it was something.
What bumps Abbott’s grade up a full letter is his recent public comments on marijuana possession penalties reduction, something that hasn’t happened in Texas since 1973.
In October during his debate with Lupe Valdez, Abbott is quoted as saying “One thing I don’t want to see is jails stockpiled with people who have possession of small amounts of marijuana”. He went on to essentially encourage the Legislature to work on a bill that would move low level possession from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class C (no jail, max $500 fine).
Last week he reiterated his position on reducing penalties in an interview with Fox 51 in Tyler. Many were skeptical of Abbott’s change of attitude in October. But now we have the same rhetoric before and after the election.
It would seem the Governor is truly changing his tone on cannabis. From “never legalize” to reducing penalties in four years is a huge swing. Forbes quotes Abbott as the only Republican governor to get a grade increase on the scorecard.
Before anyone starts putting things out there like, “Ah man, the Collective is getting soft on Abbott”; let’s see what happens. If he is true by his words and we see substantial penalties reduced, Abbott will get the credit. If it’s the status quo, we will call him on it.