With under two weeks to go in the legislative session, it’s clear 2021 isn t going to be the year that Texas joins a growing number of states where marijuana is broadly legal for adult recreational use or medical purposes.
But advocates for lifting the strict prohibitions in Texas still could notch some incremental gains before time runs out May 31 and state lawmakers head home.
House Bill 1535, an effort to expand the state s narrow medical marijuana program by a significant but still limited amount, remains alive, as does HB 2593, a measure that would reduce but not eliminate criminal penalties for possession of certain products infused with concentrates of the chemical in marijuana that induces a high.
Many elected officials, however, have hesitated to follow suit. And even in a year when cannabis boosters saw big, broad wins on recreational legalization in places like New York and New Jersey, some states that have embraced full prohibition remain firmly planted.
“Every state that does not already have a medical marijuana law had something introduced” this year, said Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for pro-legalization group Marijuana Policy Project. “Most of them have died.”
Still, the progress in some Republican-controlled state capitals suggests a shift away from the hardline positions long held by social conservatives and have buoyed the pro-marijuana movement. The final weeks of legislative sessions could bring more wins for advocates.
(Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
Conservative states are finally moving closer to the legalization of marijuana. As more states pass legislation decriminalizing or fully legalizing the plant for recreational use, red states have been the primary holdouts.
However, recent indications suggest that attitudes toward pot are softening among conservative Americans and Republican politicians. According to a Politico report published on Sunday:
Medical marijuana bills are advancing in the Republican-controlled legislatures of North Carolina, Alabama, and Kansas for the first time. Efforts to expand limited medical programs in bedrock conservative states like Texas and Louisiana also appear close to passage.
Marijuana Legislation in Texas
Texas is starting to catch up to other states that have decriminalized marijuana. Well, hopefully. On Friday of last week the Texas House of Representatives passed HB 441 (with a vote of 88 to 40) which would essentially decriminalize a small amount of cannabis. The bill would make the possession of up to one ounce of pot a Class ‘C’ Misdemeanor, which means no jail time. This bill also prevents police from arresting anyone with less than one ounce.
A 2020 report from the American Civil Liberties Union showed that African Americans in Texas were 2.6 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession in 2018 compared to Whites, even though both groups use the drug similarly nationwide. In both 2018 and 2019, around 30% of those arrested for marijuana possession in Texas were African American despite making up only 12% of the population. This problem is seen throughout the US, but bills like this are definitely a step in the right direction.