Texas is desperately in need of marijuana reform laws. Our government puts forth millions of tax payers’ dollars to be spent on the war on drugs, mostly used for marijuana prevention, money that could be of better use put towards a multitude of other thing such as education. Much more heinous crimes are being committed everyday that the Texas state law enforcement agency could concentrate their efforts on and better spend their resources (money, manpower and jail space) on. The fact that almost half of all drug arrests are for marijuana rather than for widely used addictive drugs such as cocaine or heroin which can be and often are easily overdosed on. Texas’ prisons are already overpopulated and understaffed, for more arrests to be made because of marijuana than for murder, rape, robbery and armed assault combined just seems ridiculous.
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There have always been certain people who dispute the decriminalization of marijuana because of its supposed negative side effects, but in the last several years many state’s laws are changing and politicians are beginning to accept the benefits of marijuana use. The state of Texas however is far behind most other states in its position concerning the possession, use, and distribution of marijuana. In the last year Texas has made one small step reflecting a shift in policy that at one time never seemed imaginable in Texas, House Bill 2391 states it is up to the individual officer’s own discretion as to whether or not he/she will place an offender possessing less than four ounces of marijuana under arrest, even though many cities don’t recognize this law. This new law does not change the level of the offense or the severity of the punishment but has been estimated to save Texas’ jail systems millions of dollars, nor does it take any step in the direction of recognizing marijuana’s benefits.
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Harmful drugs that can kill people or cause great harm to their bodies are legal such as alcohol and a very long list of prescription drugs. There is no doubt that marijuana has its negative side effects on the body such as cancer or asthma and it can also impair one’s judgments or slow their natural reflexes. If the government can find a way to properly monitor and educate the public on the uses of marijuana it can greatly benefit from the outcome; happier citizens with cleaner criminal records, heightened economy through hemp products (gasoline, clothing, paper, etc.), broader medical abilities, and one more item to place a high tax on. I don’t feel as though Texas should aim to remove all penalties or boundaries regarding marijuana, only to accept the potential usefulness of it and take steps towards making the many constructive uses of marijuana possible.
