From medical to recreational, Marijuana has been used to either help people with conditions or to relax the ones who want to smoke the plant. Marijuana also known as cannabis, weed and pot are all names for the sativa plant in which people will gather a mixture of the leaves the stem and even the seeds to roll up and smoke. Although this drug is illegal in Texas, a bill has recently hit topic in the Texas House of Representatives considering the penalties when getting caught with 4 ounces or less of weed. This debate has spoke briefly to be eliminating jail time for recreational users but the senate fails to understand the asset and time saving this bill will be if passed.
Unfortunately it’s been said from Governor Dan Patrick that “senate won’t pass bill to lower penalties for marijuana” which strikes curiosity of why marijuana comes with such big discipline (The Texas Tribune). Since the bill did not pass, anyone who is caught with possession will be serving jail time, having to pay a fine or even both. Texas is one of the many states that allow people who are diagnosed with intractable epilepsy to get a medical card and are authorized to carry CBD oil for their medication. Over the counter drugs can be allowed to be bought along with cigarettes at age 18 and alcohol at age 21 but till this day a lot of concerns are wondered to why cannabis is still not legal in the state of Texas.
One of many being that Republicans have a negative viewing of marijuana and Texas is one of the many republican states that support red for their Grand Old Party. Governor Dan Patrick gave a lot of comments during the controversy of the bill as he tweeted “I join with those House Republicans who oppose this step toward legalization of marijuana” (Texas Tribune). Cigarettes are allowed to be bought by teens at age 18 but the cigarettes can actually kill people because of the 7,000 chemicals that it contains. The public fails to realize that marijuana won’t damage your lungs as much as all the nicoate that people smoke from cigarettes. That being said, every hit you take from cigarettes will get you one step closer to becoming addicted as well as obtaining lung cancer and “smoking causes 84% of deaths from lung cancer” (Smokefree NHS).
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The latest news reports from the U.S. News and the Texas Tribune talk about the passing of HB 63 reducing the penalties when getting caught with possession of marijuana. Although the senate has approved of this bill when it was time for the lawmakers approval, governor Greg Abbott failed to approve this bill. The consequences for getting caught can lead up “to a Class C misdemeanor and a fine up to $500” (U.S. News). More Americans are being arrested for possession of marijuana and the actual criminals are getting away with crimes because the cops are paying more attention to the people who are in possession. Legalizing marijuana for recreational users will lower crime along with ending the high costs of enforcement that come with marijuana.
The lawmakers needs to take in notice that Americans already have access to weed and are smoking it illegally in Texas. All crimes and deaths come from drinking alcohol but having access to marijuana will lower that percentage because the amount of deaths from drinking and driving will lower. A lot of good will come to the community if the legalization of marijuana occured. Just like people who drink alcohol to make them feel secure, marijuana also known as weed or pot can help escape stress from people who’ve had a long day.
