Texas House Will Vote On Marijuana Decriminalization And Expungements Bill Next Week

April 21, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

The Texas House of Representatives will vote on a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession and create a process for expunging cannabis conviction records next week.

About a month and a half after the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee unanimously passed the legislation, the Calendars Committee has officially scheduled it for floor consideration on Wednesday, April 26.

The measure from Rep. Joe Moody (D) would remove the risk of arrest or jail time for low-level possession of cannabis and allow people to eventually erase cannabis issues from their criminal records.

The House has already passed similar cannabis decriminalization proposals during the past two legislative sessions, in 2021 and 2019. But so far the proposals have consistently stalled in the Senate amid opposition from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who presides over the chamber.

HB 218, the bill heading to the floor, combines two separate measures from the most recent session, both of which passed on the full House.

It would make possession of up to one ounce of marijuana a Class C misdemeanor, removing the risk of jail time and instead imposing a maximum fine of $500. Existing law classifies possession of small amounts of cannabis as a Class B misdemeanor, which carries penalties of up to 180 days in jail and up to a $2,000 fine.

The bill also specifies that possession of up to two ounces of cannabis would not result in an arrest, meaning violators would be cited and released. Further, people with possession convictions for up to two ounces of marijuana could seek to have those convictions expunged through a court process for a $30 fee.

“I am excited to see this bill be scheduled for floor debate,” Texas NORML Executive Director Jax James told Marijuana Moment. “Reducing penalties for low-level marijuana offenses allows police and the courts to re-prioritize their resources toward addressing more serious crimes.”

“Minor marijuana possession offenders, many of them young people, should not be saddled with a criminal record and the lifelong penalties and stigma associated with it,” she said. “We anticipate this legislation will advance to the Senate.”

The House floor scheduling development comes shortly after the body passed a bill to allow medical marijuana as an opioid alternative for people with chronic pain and also replace the state’s THC limit, sending the legislation to the Senate for consideration.

Nearly three in four Texas voters (72 percent) support decriminalizing marijuana, according to a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll in December. More than half (55 percent), meanwhile, said they’re in favor of broader legalization. Seventeen percent said it shouldn’t be legal at all.

A more recent survey from the same institution similarly showed that a majority of Texas voters feel that the state’s marijuana laws should be “less strict.”

Texas lawmakers also recently filed a series of new bills aimed at promoting and expanding psychedelics research in the state.

On the local level in Texas, meanwhile, activists have succeeded in enacting municipal cannabis reform policies. Most recently, voters in five cities—Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen and San Marcos passed marijuana decriminalization ballot measures in November.

Local officials in some of those municipalities have sought to undermine the voter-approved cannabis measures, however,

Voters in San Antonio as set to decide on a similar cannabis decriminalization initiative next month. (Full Story)

In categories:Legal State Bills
Tags:
Next Post

Amazon Delivering Weed in Oklahoma as a Pilot Program? - Not Quite, Man Uses Fake Amazon Van to Shuttle Illegally Grown Cannabis

After several years of an extensive federal investigation, a massive illegal marijuana operation was uncovered in Oklahoma City. The accused allegedly used a counterfeit Amazon delivery vehicle to transport large quantities of marijuana throughout the city. According to federal court…
Read
Previous Post

ACLU Defends Afroman In Lawsuit From Police Who Are Upset He Used Footage Of Their Marijuana Raid On His Home In Music Video

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), along with the organization’s Ohio chapter, has filed a proposed amicus brief supporting Afroman in a civil lawsuit brought against him by seven police officers who are upset the hip hop artist used footage…
Read
Random Post

Schumer Wants Marijuana Banking Bill To Get Committee Vote ‘In The Near Future,’ Reiterating Plan To Attach ‘Criminal Justice Provisions’

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says a committee vote on a marijuana banking bill will be scheduled “in the near future” following an initial hearing on Thursday—and he is reiterating plans to attach criminal justice reform provisions to the financial…
Read
Random Post

Colombia Leans Further Into Cannabis

Country seeks to shed its cocaine image for cannabis. The country of Colombia may have a reputation as the home for cocaine cartels, but it is leaning further into cannabis these days. According to government claims, the country has received $250 million in…
Read
Random Post

Study: 1 in 10 Military Veterans Have Used Cannabis Over Past Year

A study published last month by researchers at the University of North Texas Health Science Center and College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found one in 10 military veterans reported using cannabis over the past year.   The study was published…
Read
Random Post

Canada's Top CEO Raj Grover Talks Cannabis And Future Of Retail: Here's How To Meet Him In Person

The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, the world's largest gathering of cannabis decision-makers, founders and investors is returning to Miami Beach, Florida on April 11-12, 2023 and Raj Grover, president and CEO of High Tide, will be there. High Tide Inc.  HITI+1.48%+ Free Alerts is Canada’s largest non-franchised retailer of recreational cannabis…
Read