The Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee has taken a major step forward in the decriminalization of marijuana possession. On Tuesday, the committee voted 9-0 to advance the bill, sponsored by Rep. Joe Moody (D). If passed into law, it would remove the risk of arrest or jail time for low-level possession of cannabis and allow people to pay a fine instead.
The bill, titled House Bill 63, would make the possession of one ounce or less of cannabis punishable by a fine of up to $250. The bill would also eliminate the possibility of jail time for those found with up to two ounces of marijuana. This is a major shift away from current policy, which makes possession of two ounces or less a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.
The committee's decision follows a similar move in Fort Worth, Texas, where a councilman proposed a proposal to decriminalize marijuana possession up to four ounces. The proposal was strongly backed by Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and is seen as a progressive move by the city.
In recent years, the nation has seen a shift towards the decriminalization of marijuana. Twenty-one states have legalized cannabis, and twenty-seven states have decriminalize the use of cannabis. In a recent study, it was found that states that had legalized marijuana had seen a decrease in violent crime and an increase in economic growth.
The proposed bill in Texas has been met with strong support from many residents. Mr. Johnson, 24, who has had a medical marijuana card for about a year, commented, "I support decriminalization of drugs, especially marijuana. It would be a great step forward for the state of Texas."
San Antonio, Texas, is also looking to decriminalize marijuana. Officials there have officially certified a local initiative for the May ballot that would decriminalize marijuana. If the initiative is approved, it would make the possession of two ounces or less of marijuana punishable by a fine of up to $250.
The move towards decriminalization of marijuana has been picking up steam in Texas. The Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee unanimously approved a bill to decriminalize marijuana in late April, and the Delaware House of Representatives also recently passed a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession.
The Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee's decision to advance the bill sponsored by Rep. Joe Moody is an encouraging sign that the state is moving towards decriminalization of marijuana. If the bill is passed into law, it would reduce the criminalization of low-level marijuana possession and provide a more equitable way to enforce the law.
