{"id":3687,"date":"2022-01-11T14:04:56","date_gmt":"2022-01-11T14:04:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/CBMihgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5tYXJpanVhbmFtb21lbnQubmV0L2dvcC10ZXhhcy1nb3Zlcm5vci1zYXlzLXBlb3BsZS1zaG91bGRudC1iZS1qYWlsZWQtb3Zlci1tYXJpanVhbmEtcG9zc2Vzc2lvbi1idXQtbWlzc3RhdGVzLWN1cnJlbnQtbGF3L9IBAA"},"modified":"2022-01-11T14:04:56","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T14:04:56","slug":"gop-texas-governor-says-people-shouldnt-be-jailed-over-marijuana-possession-but-misstates-current-law-marijuana-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=3687","title":{"rendered":"GOP Texas Governor Says People Shouldn’t Be Jailed Over Marijuana Possession, But Misstates Current Law – Marijuana Moment"},"content":{"rendered":"

The governor of Texas said on Monday that he doesn\u2019t believe people should be incarcerated over low-level marijuana possession, effectively endorsing decriminalization on the same day that Austin officials certified a ballot initiative to enact the reform<\/a> on the local level. But he also went on to incorrectly suggest that lawmakers have already adopted the policy statewide.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not the first time that Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has expressed support for moderate cannabis reform, but it\u2019s a notable remark from a Republican governor nonetheless. Pressed about broader cannabis legalization at a campaign press event, Abbott emphasized that Texas is \u201cmaking steps in that regard\u201d to decrease marijuana penalties, though he misstated the current law.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarijuana is now a Class C misdemeanor in the state of Texas and so one thing that that I believe in\u2014and I believe the state legislature believes in\u2014and that is prison and jail is a place for dangerous criminals who may harm others, and small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX): \u201cSmall possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/rnk7YWBCF7<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Recount (@therecount) January 10, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Advocates were quick to point out that Abbott mischaracterized Texas\u2019s marijuana policy, as possession of up to two ounces of cannabis actually remains a Class B misdemeanor\u2014not class C\u2014that carries a penalty of up to 180 days in jail and a maximum $2,000 fine.<\/p>\n

A Class C misdemeanor would be punishable by up to a $500 fine without the threat of jail time, a policy that activists often refer to as decriminalization.<\/p>\n

Abbott made similar comments during a debate<\/a> in 2018, saying, \u201cOne thing I don\u2019t want to see is jails stockpiled with people who have possession of a small amount of marijuana.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would be open to talking to the legislature about reducing the penalty for [marijuana] possession of two ounces or less from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class C misdemeanor,\u201d he said at the time.<\/p>\n

The Texas House went on to approve a cannabis decriminalization bill<\/a> in 2019, but it did not advance<\/a> in the Senate that session and never made it to Abbott\u2019s desk due to the opposition of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who controls the chamber\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n

\u2014
Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 800 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills<\/a> in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters<\/a> pledging at least $25\/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don\u2019t miss any developments.
<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n


Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker<\/a> and become a supporter on Patreon<\/a> to get access.
\u2014<\/p>\n

The Texas Republican Party adopted a platform plank<\/a> endorsing decriminalization of marijuana possession in 2018.<\/p>\n

Still, advocates say the new comments from the governor, who is up for reelection this year, signal a bipartisan consensus that\u2019s building around reform.<\/p>\n

\u201cElected officials in Texas\u2014both Democrats and Republicans\u2014agree that we should no longer arrest people for small amounts of marijuana,\u201d Heather Fazio, director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, told Marijuana Moment. \u201cIt\u2019s a waste of resources, it unfairly derails lives, and it\u2019s time for the legislature to take action so law enforcement can focus on real crime.\u201d<\/p>\n

Democrat Beto O\u2019Rourke, a former congressman and El Paso City Council member, is running for governor this year and supports full marijuana legalization<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hours before the Abbott\u2019s comments on Monday, a progressive group called Ground Game Texas announced that Austin officials had certified an initiative<\/a> to place cannabis decriminalization on the city\u2019s May ballot.<\/p>\n

Activists said that they turned in more than 33,000 signatures<\/a> for the measure\u2014about 10,000 more than required to qualify for the May 7 election. The city clerk\u2019s office said that, according to its internal review of the validity of the submissions, \u201cthe petition is determined to be sufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group also told Marijuana Moment on Monday that they will be launching signature campaigns for cannabis decriminalization initiatives in Killeen and Harker Heights this month, and activists in San Marcos began a similar campaign in September. Those three efforts are aimed at putting marijuana reform before voters in November<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s no statewide ballot process in place for citizen initiatives in Texas, drug policy reform did advance in the state legislature during last year\u2019s session, but not necessarily at the pace that advocates had hoped to see.<\/p>\n

A bill to expand the state\u2019s medical cannabis program<\/a> and another to require a study into the therapeutic potential of certain psychedelics<\/a> for military veterans were enacted. Abbott signed the former but let the other become enacted without his signature<\/p>\n

Advocates remain disappointed, however, that lawmakers were unable to pass more expansive cannabis bills<\/a>\u2014including a decriminalization proposal that cleared the House but saw no action in the Senate.<\/p>\n

A Texas poll that was released over the summer found that 60 percent of voters in the state support making cannabis legal \u201cfor any use.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Former GOP Congressman Joins Psychedelics Advocacy Group To Push For Federal Reform<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Photo courtesy of Martin Alonso<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The governor of Texas said on Monday that he doesn\u2019t believe people should be incarcerated over low-level marijuana possession, effectively endorsing decriminalization on the same day that Austin officials certified a ballot initiative to enact the reform on the local level. But he also went on to incorrectly suggest that lawmakers have already adopted the policy statewide. It\u2019s not the first time that Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has expressed support for moderate cannabis reform, but it\u2019s a notable remark from a Republican governor nonetheless. Pressed about broader cannabis legalization at a campaign press event, Abbott emphasized that Texas is \u201cmaking… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-connecticut-cbd-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3687"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3687\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}