Texas: growing support for cannabis decriminalization

Texas is reputed to be one of the most conservative states in the USA, and its cannabis laws do indeed lend credence to this reputation. Texas cannabis laws are extremely tough: possession of less than 57 grams is already a misdemeanor punishable by several months in prison and a fine of 2,000$.

Above 113 grams, possession is considered a felony, with mandatory prison sentences of up to 99 years depending on the quantity possessed. 60,000 people a year are arrested for simple possession of cannabis.

Consider decriminalization

Since the parliamentary elections, The political landscape of the United States has changed, but Texas is still largely dominated by Republicans and retains the same governor. However, his position on cannabis has softened over the course of the debates. In particular, he declared during the televised debate with his rival Lupe Valdez: «I'm ready to talk to legislators about changing the penalties for possession of less than 57 grams of cannabis from a class B misdemeanor to a class C misdemeanor.» While class B includes prison sentences, class C includes offenses considered minor that do not carry prison sentences.

This announcement comes after the Texas Republican Party first expressed a pro-cannabis decriminalization position last June: «We support a change in the laws to make possession of 28 grams or less of cannabis by an adult a civil offense, not a criminal one, punishable by a fine of up to 100$ but not involving jail time.» These progressive positions on cannabis legislation are increasingly common in the Republican Party across the country.

With the endorsement of the Texas Republican party and the governor, there's a good chance that cannabis possession within a certain quantity limit will soon be decriminalized in Texas.

However, the form and limits of this decriminalization are still unknown. Democratic Congressman Joe Moody has already prepared a bill along these lines for the next legislative session, which begins in January 2019: «It was the first thing I filled out on the first day of the 86th session. There's been an incredible increase in bipartisan support since the last session, and the official Texas platforms of both Republicans and Democrats now endorse this kind of reform.».

His proposal would abolish arrests, prison sentences and criminal records for possession of less than 28 grams.

«I'm hopeful that this session will be one of smarter, fairer cannabis laws in Texas,» says Joe Moody, the Democrat sponsoring the proposal.

It's not the first time he's tried to relax Texas laws. on cannabis: in 2017, he had issued a bill to decriminalize possession of less than 28 grams of cannabis by replacing prison sentences with a fine. This proposal almost came to a vote in Parliament. Taking advantage of the reformist wave, other legislative texts were completed by MPs from the Texas to expand the state's current, very limited medical cannabis program.