Perry favors pot decriminalization

[Winehole23]

Gov. Rick Perry (http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Flocal&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Rick+Perry%22) signaled Thursday that he's for the decriminalization of marijuana use — not legalization, but the softening of punishment for pot users in the border state.

“As governor, I have begun to implement policies that start us toward a decriminalization” by introducing alternative “drug courts” that provide treatment and softer penalties for minor offenses, Perry said during an international panel on drug legalization at the World Economic Forum (http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Flocal&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22World+Economic+Forum%22) in Davos, Switzerland.


It's the first time the governor, who's voiced support for drug courts in the past, took a position on decriminalization in Texas.


His spokeswoman confirmed that Perry is staunchly opposed to legalization of marijuana because of the dangers that have been associated with the drug but is committed to policies that would lower the punishment for its use to keep smokers out of jail.


“Legalization is no penalty at all, whereas decriminalization doesn't necessarily mean jail time (for minor possession offenses). It means more of a fine or counseling or some sort of program where you don't end up in jail but in a rehabilitative program,” said Lucy Nashed (http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Flocal&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Lucy+Nashed%22), a spokeswoman for Perry.


“The goal is to keep people out of jails and reduce recidivism, that kind of thing,” she said, adding that decriminalization would exclude violent offenders and dealers.http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Gov-Rick-Perry-for-decriminalization-of-pot-5168667.php

[boutons_deux]

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228281&p=7091140#post7091140

[Blake]

Why not legalize it if you're going to decriminalize it.

why do we keep this idiot in office

[boutons_deux]

how does that work?

smoking, carrying x oz is decriminalized, but it's not legalized? RickyBobby proves yet again he's dumb as a bag of hammers.

When you're "caught", what will the cop do?

And what about medical use?

His 2016 run will again be hilariously disastrous.

[Blake]

how does that work?

smoking, carrying x oz is decriminalized, but it's not legalized? RickyBobby proves yet again he's dumb as a bag of hammers.

When you're "caught", what will the cop do?

And what about medical use?

His 2016 run will again be hilariously disastrous.

the cop would probably issue a class C misdemeanor ticket, same level as a speeding ticket.

But it always comes back to the question of "what's the point?"

Just stupid.

[angrydude]

The point would be to keep pot socially taboo (FWIW).

It's a balancing act.

[HI-FI]

no problem with this. if the government still wants its cut while letting some of us be, i'm fine with that.

[Blake]

The point would be to keep pot socially taboo (FWIW).

It's a balancing act.

What would be the point of keeping pot socially taboo?

[boutons_deux]

Expecting Pot Penalties to Decrease? Slow Your Roll

Despite the attention that Perry’s comments drew, criminal justice analysts do not expect Texas to decriminalize marijuana anytime soon.

“Gov. Perry is opposed to the legalization of marijuana, but as a staunch defender of the 10th Amendment he believes states should have the right to decide issues like this,”

Currently, possession of up to two ounces of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. People deemed nonviolent offenders can qualify for drug court (http://governor.state.tx.us/priorities/security/public_safety/drug_courts/) diversion programs, which consist of supervision, frequent drug testing and treatment programs.

Ethan Nadelmann, the founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance (http://www.drugpolicy.org/), a pro-change research group focused on criminal justice issues, said it was unlikely that Texas legislators would change the state’s marijuana laws at their next meeting, in 2015.

“They are headed in the right direction, but still way behind the curve,” said Nadelmann, whose organization supports decriminalization. He also conceded that legalization in the states of Washington and Colorado had happened faster than expected. That, and Texas’ reputation as a trendsetter, could speed up change.

http://www.texastribune.org/2014/02/16/few-see-immediate-changes-texas-pot-laws/

The War on Drugs is a business. Too many corporations, and legal firms, make $100Ms of the war on marijuana, and then of course there is TX racism that loves to lock up blacks and browns, for mj to be decriminalized or legalized in TX.

Perry's mj position appears to be nothing but the Republic of Texas loving to 10th-amendment-nullify federal anything, mj simply being an example of federal law to be ignored.

[The Reckoning]

just like he said he'd back succession :lol this guy is so full of shit it's deplorable

[Winehole23]

voted out of committee:


A marijuana penalty reduction bill which recently was considered dead in the Texas Criminal Jurisprudence Committee is alive again.


House Bill 507, submitted by Rep. Joe Moody of El Paso, originally failed a 3-2 vote in committee. It was revived however and ended up passing 4-2.
The bill would make possession of less than an ounce of marijuana a fine, and offenders would no longer be arrested or subjected to a criminal record.

http://txcann.com/2015/05/04/marijuana-penalty-reduction-bill-passes-texas-committee/

[boutons_deux]

a "fine" of how much? $300? leading to victims unable to pay, summons, court dates, missed court dates, arrest warrants, privatized fine/court costs collection plus their exorbintant collection fees, imprisonment, etc, etc.

Texas "progress" :lol

[Wild Cobra]

Why not legalize it if you're going to decriminalize it.

why do we keep this idiot in office

Put your money where your mouth is, and run yourself!

[Winehole23]

a "fine" of how much? $300? leading to victims unable to pay, summons, court dates, missed court dates, arrest warrants, privatized fine/court costs collection plus their exorbintant collection fees, imprisonment, etc, etc.

Texas "progress" :lolbelieve it or not, it's news in Texas when pot decriminalization makes it out of committee.

[Winehole23]

another first:


In a surprise move that supporters hailed as a historic victory, the Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee approved legislation Wednesdaythat would make it legal to buy and sell marijuana in the state. Two Republicans joined with the panel's three Democrats in support, giving House Bill 2165 (http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=84R&Bill=HB2165) a decisive 5-2 victory.


The proposal, which would make Texas the fifth state in America to OK pot for recreational purposes, has virtually no chance of clearing any other hurdles on the path to becoming law in this year's legislative sessionhttp://www.chron.com/news/politics/texas/article/Texas-House-committee-approves-full-legalization-6247225.php

[The Reckoning]

sad but a start. that would save all of Texas' budget balancing issues by tenfold.

[Wild Cobra]

There's so much floating around in Oregon, I was given this for free!

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/Wild_Cobra/Misc/20150422_120753%2025%20pct_zps0fgcjmrt.jpg

[Blake]

Put your money where your mouth is, and run yourself!

donate to my super pac and i just might

[Wild Cobra]

donate to my super pac and i just might

LOL...

Sorry, I have only donated to two candidates in my like. I generally vote against someone instead of for.

I would probably vote against you if i was able to vote where you would be on the ballot.

[Blake]

Put your money where your mouth is, and run yourself!

http://static.texastribune.org/media/images/cftotals.jpg

hmmm. Maybe I should put my $20 million where my mouth is and go for it

[The Reckoning]

Kay Bailey should be governor though her environmental record is terrible. Then again that's like pick your poison for Texas governor. All candidates suck.

[Winehole23]

sad but a start. that would save all of Texas' budget balancing issues by tenfold.have you seen figures for the possible economic/budgetary impact of legalization for Texas? What was the windfall for Colorado?

[boutons_deux]

Recreational pot: $53 million in tax revenue to Colorado

http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/12/news/economy/colorado-marijuana-tax-revenue/

not a "windfall", just revenue from sales taxes, meaning it's a regressive tax.

[Spurminator]

I've heard from sources I trust in Austin that Kay Bailey Hutchison is a total c*nt.

[The Reckoning]

have you seen figures for the possible economic/budgetary impact of legalization for Texas? What was the windfall for Colorado?


I'd guess that the legal system would have a huge burden lifted if anything

[boutons_deux]

I'd guess that the legal system would have a huge burden lifted if anything

Just look at which orgs have been against legalizing pot.

It was BigAlcohol in CA, and probably everywhere else.

The PIC is vehemently against pot legalization because its for-profit prisons are full of 100Ks of pot "criminals", each work $30K revenue/year.

And of course the police are against it since they would have almost nothing to do.

BigPharma is against it while they figure out how to corner the market with their patented, exorbitantly prices mj analogues.

[Blake]

Just look at which orgs have been against legalizing pot.

It was BigAlcohol in CA, and probably everywhere else.


Seems to me Big Tobacky would be enemy #1 of weed

[boutons_deux]

Seems to me Big Tobacky would be enemy #1 of weed


for the same reason as BigPharma. BigCancerStick probably has done plenty of research in how to make mj cigs, and will rush in as soon as THEY are ready.

[Blake]

They'd need to be the vapor cigs fwiw. Smoke from burning leaf is still carcinogenic iirc.

[boutons_deux]

Smoke from burning leaf is still carcinogenic iirc.

no, it's not, research has shown that mj smoke inhalation is not carcinogenic. My guess is that the mj smoke carries the THERAPEUTIC chemicals that don't damage lung tissue, and may even prevent damage.

[Blake]

"..... The association between smoking marijuana and lung cancer remains unclear.* Marijuana smoke contains about 50% more benzopyrene and nearly 75% more benzanthracene, both known carcinogens, than a comparable quantity of unfiltered tobacco smoke (Tashkin, 2013). Moreover, the deeper inhalations and longer breath-holding of marijuana smokers result in greater exposure of the lung to the tar and carcinogens in the smoke. Lung biopsies from habitual marijuana-only users have revealed widespread alterations to the tissue, some of which are recognized as precursors to the subsequent development of cancer (Tashkin, 2013). *On the other hand, several well-designed and large-scale studies, including one in Washington State (Rosenblatt et al, 2004), have failed to find any increased risk of lung or upper airway cancer in people who have smoked marijuana (Mehra et al, 2006; Tashkin, 2013), and studies assessing the association between marijuana use and cancer risk have many limitations, including concomitant tobacco use and the relatively small number of long-term heavy users – particularly older users. Therefore, even though population-based studies have generally failed to show increased cancer risk, no study has definitively ruled out the possibility that some individuals, especially heavier marijuana users, may incur an elevated risk of cancer. This risk appears to be smaller than for tobacco, yet is important to know about when weighing the benefits and risks of smoking. (Tashkin DP, 2013).

More research on marijuana smoking and cancer is needed.- See more at: http://adai.uw.edu/marijuana/factsheets/respiratoryeffects.htm#.dpuf

[Blake]

It's inconclusive at best but I'll go ahead and pass on grass unless it's pill or brownie form or I'm already at death doorstep

Even then...meh....doesn't do anything for me

[boutons_deux]

It's inconclusive at best but I'll go ahead and pass on grass unless it's pill or brownie form or I'm already at death doorstep

Even then...meh....doesn't do anything for me

there are more studies on harmless mj than on acetaminophen, which kills 1000s of Americans every year. keep looking

[boutons_deux]

Republican state Rep. David Simpson of Longview argues marijuana comes from God and therefore shouldn't be banned by government. The tea party stalwart has repeatedly championed what he calls the "Christian case" for legalization.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/07/1383102/-Bipartisan-Texas-house-panel-votes-to-legalize-marijuana-makes-religious-case?detail=email

WTF? Christ wants Repugs to "comfort the sick" ? WTF? :lol

[Blake]

there are more studies on harmless mj than on acetaminophen, which kills 1000s of Americans every year. keep looking

Neh it's indisputable that there are known carcinogens that exist in marijuana smoke but if you want to post a link to a specific study as to why the risk of cancer hasn't risen in these studies, I wouldn't mind checking it out.

[boutons_deux]

Legal Marijuana Faces Another Federal Hurdle: Taxes

Money was pouring into Bruce Nassau’s five Colorado marijuana shops when his accountant called with the bad news: The 2014 tax season was approaching, and Mr. Nassau could not rely on the galaxy of deductions that other businesses use to reduce their tax bills. He was going to owe the Internal Revenue Service a small fortune.
“I had to write a check for $275,000,” Mr. Nassau said.

The country’s rapidly growing marijuana industry has a tax problem. Even as more states embrace legal marijuana, shops say they are being forced to pay crippling federal income taxes because of a decades-old law aimed at preventing drug dealers from claiming their smuggling costs and couriers as business expenses on their tax returns.

Congress passed that law (http://newrevenue.org/2013/03/13/marijuana-tax-code-section-280e-text-and-joint-committee-legislative-history/) in 1982 after a cocaine and methamphetamine dealer in Minneapolis who had been jailed on drug charges went to tax court (http://www.leagle.com/decision/1981157542mqtcm1533_11221) to argue that the money he spent on travel, phone calls, packaging and even a small scale should be considered tax write-offs. The provision, still enforced by the I.R.S., bans all tax credits and deductions from “the illegal trafficking in drugs.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/us/politics/legal-marijuana-faces-another-federal-hurdle-taxes.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[Winehole23]

The Texas Senate has approved a limited medical marijuana bill, authorizing the sale to eligible patients of Cannabidiol oil.

The upper chamber voted 26-5 to support limited legalization of what's also known as CBD oil. It's an extract from the marijuana plant that doesn't produce the high associated with other parts.
The oil is used to help control seizures associated with intractable epilepsy, which advocates say affects about 150,000 Texans.


Tyler Republican Sen. Kevin Eltife's measure now heads to the House. A companion House bill has cleared committee, making it potentially eligible for a lower chamber floor vote.
Texas hasn't legalized marijuana in any form, even for medical reasons.


So, while a small step, passage of CBD oil exceptions would be unprecedented -- should they eventually clear the Legislature.

http://www.ksat.com/content/pns/ksat/news/2015/05/07/texas-senate-approves-marijuana-oil-sale-for-medical-reasons.html

[Winehole23]

passed on second reading:


Medical marijuana could be legal in Texas, sort of.

The Texas House of Representatives voted 96 to 34 to approve the second reading of a Senate bill that would allow limited use of Cannabidiol oils, a marijuana derivative, Progress Texas said in a press release..

And the proposals authors are Republican! Crazy.

Maybe the times are a changin'?

Progress Texas Executive Deputy Ed Espinoza said the approval is historic.

He is right.

“Marijuana policy reform has made history in Texas! More than 20,000 people engaged in a serious conversation this year, and we are pleased to see strong support from a bipartisan majority," Espinoza said in a press release.

[Winehole23]

Now, all eyes are on Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The bill is on its way to his desk.http://www.sacurrent.com/Blogs/archives/2015/05/18/texas-just-approved-a-limited-medical-marijuana-bill