Texas Decriminalizing Marijuana

Texas is not the first place I think of when I think of tolerant marijuana policies but they are coming around to a positive way of thinking concerning cannabis. This month, a bill was introduced into the Texas House of Representatives that would greatly reduce the marijuana possession penalties currently in place in the Lone Star State. The bill would reduce the fines and essentially prevent people in possession of small amounts of marijuana from serving jail time for minor infractions of Texas cannabis-regulating law.

Texas Marijuana Laws

Despite a recent slew of proposed bills for everything from cannabis regulation to decriminalizing possession the state, Texas cannabis laws are still archaic enough to carry heavy penalties for possession. Any amount less than two ounces may get you 180 days in jail and a hefty fine of $2,000. Hash oil possession is a felony that may carry two years in prison, although Texas drug diversion programs may allow first-time offenders to go to rehab instead. Selling any amount is a felony and can carry up to twenty years in jail. Cultivation of marijuana can result in life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Them are some harsh laws its no wonder that there are so many pro-cannabis groups in Texas trying to decriminalize, legalize, and regulate marijuana. I applaud Texas for going after the most important aspects of cannabis persecution first: decriminalization and medical cannabis access for patients. To learn more about the pro-cannabis movement in Texas, check out Texas Cannabis Report and Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy.

What is Texas House Bill 81?

Texas House Bill 81 was filed on November 16, and would decriminalize possession of less than one ounce of marijuana; a person possessing this much marijuana would only be subject to a $250 fine at most, and no jail time would be assigned. This type of decriminalization aims to reduce the number of people behind bars in Texas for minor drug infractions that are non-violent and threaten no one. As more studies reveal that marijuana is not a gateway drug to heroin addiction or the beginning of a life-long crime spree, putting someone behind bars for possession of a few joints is beginning to seem like punishment out of some dystopian futuristic novel. Texas has also proposed four other bills that seek to decriminalize and regulate marijuana consumption, cultivation, and possession in the great state of Texas. As Representative Joe Moody, one of HB 81s supporters, noted ...