45 years ago, those in possession of marijuana in Texas faced a charge of life in prison; on Saturday, however, Texan Republican Delegates voted to endorse the decriminalization of industrial hemp.
According to Civilized.com, those convicted of marijuana possession in 1923 Texas paid a steeper price. It wasn’t until 50 years later that the state changed those laws. Today, Texas’ state law says that possession of up to two ounces is a criminal offense punishable by incarceration of up to six months and a $2,000 fine. In a state where the drug was once banned, this recent vote from Delegates at the Republican Party of Texas Convention ahead of the 2019 legislative session could change all that. In addition to formulating platforms upon which marijuana decriminalization, industrial hemp, and medical marijuana would be endorsed, Republicans also agreed to rally behind change for the way the federal government classifies the drug.
Currently, marijuana is seen as a Schedule 1 drug, on the same level as heroin and LSD. Despite the federal viewpoint on the classification of this controversial drug, more and more states continue to legalize the use of the plant in one way or another. In 2015, Senate Bill 339, also known as the Texas Compassionate-Use Act, affirmed that low-THC could be distributed to patients who qualify for medical marijuana as treatment. Saturday’s vote further delved into the party’s positions on medical marijuana which patients currently have limited access to.
Last year, the vote to increase the access of medical marijuana to patients received massive support. The legislative session, however, ran out of time before floor votes could be conducted. With the next legislative session beginning in January, cannabis backers hope that the increased Republican support will give the issue the traction it needs to push it over the edge. One of the new positions taken by the party also recognizes the plant’s value as an agricultural commodity. In it, they implore Texas Legislature to pass legislation on the drug that would permit the sale, cultivation, and manufacturing of industrial marijuana and marijuana-related products. Additionally, they encourage that the law is changed so that marijuana possession is no longer classified as a criminal offense, but a civil one. This means that legal adults, aged 21 years and older, found with up to one ounce of marijuana on their person would be punished by a $100, but go without having to serve a jail sentence.
As it would seem, marijuana has some friends in high places, and it only appears to be rallying more Republican supporters as opinions shift. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently pushed for the 2018 Farm Bill and President Trump announced this month that he would back bipartisan efforts to lift the federal ban on the drug so that states could regulate their own cannabis laws. With Texas currently arresting tens of thousands of its citizens for marijuana-related crimes each year, this change in opinion is a major breakthrough for cannabis advocates. However, for as many allies as the drug has, there are still those who oppose it. An avid adversary to marijuana legalization is one of Texas’ own, Republican Rep. Pete Sessions. Despite his party’s recent support of the drug, Sessions has used his position as chairman of the House Rules Committee to block marijuana votes. These include a vote that, if passed, would have given veterans access to marijuana as a treatment for symptoms of PTSD, pain management, and other conditions. Sessions’ actions to impede marijuana legalization can only hold on for so long as more conservatives come out in support of the drug. Considering the party’s ongoing and turbulent history of opposition, these new positions by Republicans comes as a surprise to many but also signifies something of greater importance. Has the fact that the drug has gone mainstream shifted political views enough to bring the country that much closer to full-blown legalization?
Photo Credit: Thrillist
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