Ten states currently have full marijuana legalization in place and State Rep Rolando Gutierrez (D-San Antonio) says Texas can be number eleven in the 2021 session.
Gutierrez says his proposal, which he calls the REAL Cannabis Legislation Act, has received support from legislators ahead of the 2021 Legislative Session.
“Next session we need to find money to fund the education bill that we just passed,” Gutierrez tweeted Thursday. “I’m offering a REAL solution that doesn’t include raising your property taxes. It’s time we join the 33 states that have legalized #marijuana for medical/adult use,” Gutierrez told Texas Breaking News.
One of the things that sets his bill apart, even if federal legalization take place, is that his bill states that only cannabis products grown in Texas could be sold in Texas. This would win up leading to a new market for cannabis farmers. The bill if passed would also legalize individuals growing no more than 12 marijuana plants in their homes for personal consumption.
The legislative language contains $200 million for security resources for counties that are within 50 miles or the border, and $250 million for big city and county police to combat drug related cartel activity. This would reverse the flow of funds being seen in the current Texas legal approach of prohibition on cannabis, as the state spent over $750 million over the last year in attempting to arrest and prosecute cannabis law offenders.
In the 86th legislative session Dan Patrick announced that any measure to legalize cannabis was “dead on arrival”, and Dan Patrick is not up for re-election in 2020. Unfortunately if any movement is to be made past Patrick it would require a change in house speaker to someone who will not let Patrick’s legislative priorities get through without this compromise, along with another dramatic shift in house as well as senate composition to individuals that are demanding this change.
The San Antonio representative says Texas is looking at a major education funding shortfall in 2021 due to several measures approved by the 86th Legislature, and this legislation would be the perfect way to deal with the upcoming shortfall.
The proposal provides the owners of private property with the right to ‘prohibit or restrict the possession, consumption, cultivation, distribution, processing, sale, or display of cannabis or cannabis products.’ But it requires that landlord allow tenants to consume marijuana in accordance with the law.
If you would like to contact your senator or representative to ask them to support this legislation during their primary or during the 2021 legislative session click here.