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Why Texas Should Legalize Marijuana


Marijuana alone never killed anyone, unlike alcohol or an excess of sugar consumption over a lifetime (diabetes, etc.). Most people reading this blog could care less about legalizing marijuana because they can't understand how it affects them. Oh, but it does. It is rather simple.

1. Taxes. It costs approximately $45k a year to house an inmate in Texas (juvenile costs are far higher).  The amount of money Texas taxpayers pay for prisons and jails is staggering.  People can't seem to understand this is real.  I have a client who has a pending marijuana case in Johnson County. It is a felony because it is not in leaf format- the marijuana concentration is in a few gummy bears. The assistant district attorney has offered a ten year probation sentence which includes a prison rehab (called SAFP) for 6 months to a year.  Ludicrous.  Why send my food delivery guy into a school for hardened criminals where he will come out far worse than when he went in?  News flash, even former President Barack Obama admitted to smoking marijuana. Let's not kids ourselves any longer. No, marijuana is not a "gateway drug." People with serious substance abuse addictions are not settling for a joint, much like serious cigar smokers are not settling for burning an incense candle. The Indians have been smoking marijuana in this country before the Pilgrims came. It will never change. Forget the money coming out of state coffers, imagine the substantial deposits of taxpayer dollars by taxing what is already legal in many states.



2. Unemployment. Many college kids can't find professional jobs after graduation. How about those kids who can't even get into a college because of a marijuana arrest?  I currently have a college football scholarship teen with no criminal history whose life dreams are shattered because he was caught with a marijuana dab in his vaping pen. Once again, this is a felony because it is not in leaf form.  It was the great British author and sage Samuel Johnson who said in the eighteenth century, "You know, humanly speaking, there is a certain degree of temptation, which will overcome any virtue. Now in so far as you approach temptation to a man, you do him an injury; and, if he is overcome, you share his guilt." We know that teenagers experiment, particularly with alcohol and marijuana. Are we really going to ruin their lives when they get harmlessly caught with marijuana?  We as a society, are guilty of self destruction when we show no mercy to teenagers who mean no harm.  The difference in an under 21 young adult caught with alcohol and marijuana in a non leaf form (gummy bears, brownies, dab pens) is the difference between a traffic ticket citation and a felony.



These are the things that keep me up at night. It just isn't right. Much like alcohol which is far more dangerous than marijuana, not everyone will partake,  but this should not mean we have to criminalize the mere consumption.  I am still holding out hope that the prosecutors in Texas on my cases and in others will do the right things. Not only do I want my productive clients to keep contributing to society, speaking as a taxpayer I am 150% opposed to imprisoning a non violent consumer of marijuana (in any form) on my taxpayer dime.
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