In an interview last week with East Texas Fox 51, Governor Abbott once again reiterated his stance of reduced penalties for small amounts of marijuana possession.
“What we have seen some traction for are issues about reducing the criminal penalties of small amounts of possession of marijuana.”
As it stands, possession of under two ounces of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable up to 180 days in jail, $2,000 fine and an automatic 6 month driver’s liscense suspension.
Now, not everyone in Texas is facing this punishment equally. Many large counties have already initiated their own versions of Cite & Summons, a law based around carrying the charge, yet diverting the arrest. Their courts are too swamped with nonviolent offenses. They often use diversion programs to drop the posession charge altogether.
Governor Abbott went on to compare the importance of small possession of marijuana to a crime like minor-in-possession of alcohol, a Class C misdemeanor. A Class B to C penalty reduction was what he mentioned in his lone debate with Lupe Valez during his 2018 reelection campaign.
Currently, there is one B to C bill in the House, but Governor Abbott has not submitted anything. There is House Bill 63, which would move posession of less than an ounce marijuana to a $250 civil fine. HB 63 was presubmitted in November by state Representative Joe Moody from El Paso. Virtually the same bill made it successfully to the House Floor in the 2017 Legislature, but was never heard.
As far as medical marijuana, Abbott only mentioned his accomplishments in signing the Texas Compassionate Use Act, a restrictive, low THC cannabis program for intractable epilepsy only.
Governor Abbott also made it clear that legalization was not on the agenda.
He finished by again, talking about penalties reduction. “The question that’s been raised is should small amounts of possession of marijuana, should that penalty be reduced to a Class C misdemeanor? We’ll see what type of traction that it gets.”
For the full interview, follow this link:
Are the farmers of Texas able to cultivate HEMP?
Farmers are at a 12 low for harvests. I sincerely hope this would give the farmers of Texas hope.
Again, Sincerely
Benita L Pacton
Those who believe in limited government, personal responsibility, free markets, and individual liberty should embrace the ending of this irrational, un-American cannabis prohibition. It should be the cornerstone of current GOP policy.
Federal studies show about half of the U.S. population has tried cannabis, at least 15% use it regularly, over 80% of high school seniors have reported cannabis “easy to get” for decades. This prohibition, like alcohol prohibition has had little of its intended effect. In many cases cannabis prohibition makes cannabis usage problematic where it would not have been otherwise, be it light, moderate, or heavy usage. For the most part, cannabis prohibition only successfully prohibits effective regulation.
A few issues created by prohibition: there are no quality controls to reduce contaminants (harmful pesticides, molds, fungus, other drugs), there is no practical way to prevent regular underage sales, billions in tax revenue are lost which can be used for all substance abuse treatment, underground markets for all drugs are empowered as a far more popular substance is placed within them expanding their reach and increasing their profits, criminal records make pursuing many decent careers difficult, police and court resources are unnecessarily tied up by pursuing and prosecuting victimless ‘crimes’, public mistrust and disrespect for our legal system, police, and government is increased, which is devastating our country.
Prohibition is also very expensive, though, a cash cow for a number of powerful groups such as those related to law enforcement and the prison industry. These organizations have powerful lobbies and influence that perpetuate a failed drug policy through ignorance, fear, disinformation and misinformation. This ensures an endless supply of lucrative contracts, grants and subsidies from the government and its taxpayers to support their salaries, tools of the trade, ‘correctional’ services, and other expenses. Cash, property and other assets from civil forfeiture laws also significantly fatten their coffers while often violating civil rights.
America was built on the principles of freedom and liberty. In some cases there are extreme circumstances that warrant intervention with criminal law. In the case of mind-altering drugs we have already set this precedent with alcohol. Cannabis is less harmful than alcohol to the consumer and especially to others. If we are to have justice, then the penalties for using, possessing and selling cannabis should be no worse than those of alcohol.