The Texas governor says no one should be jailed for owning weed, despite jeopardizing existing law

By Nicolas Jose Rodriguez

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) said Monday that he doesn’t believe people should be jailed for low-level marijuana possession and effectively advocated decriminalization the same day Austin officials launched an election initiative to adopt the reform at the local level. reported marijuana moment.

“Marijuana is now a Class C offense in the state of Texas,” Abbott said. Currently, a Class C offense in Texas carries a fine with no prison sentence. Abbott, however, misrepresented the state’s marijuana policy. Possession of up to two ounces of cannabis actually remains a Class B offense – not a Class C offense, which carries a fine of up to 180 days and a fine of up to $ 2,000.

Photo by Bo Zaunders / Getty Images

“Texas-elected officials – both Democrats and Republicans – agree that we should no longer arrest people for low levels of marijuana,” Heather Fazio, Texans director for Responsible Marijuana Policy, told Marijuana Moment. “It’s a waste of resources, it’s unfairly derailing lives, and it’s time lawmakers take action so law enforcement can focus on real crime.”

Dynamism in Texas?

Meanwhile, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke received some of the loudest cheers when he promised to legalize marijuana in Texas at a crowded rally in downtown Austin in late December. actually agree. “Then he added that if he were elected he would legalize marijuana.”

RELATED: Beto O’Rourke’s support for legal weed gives proponents hope for a policy change in Texas

According to a survey by the University of Houston and Texas Southern University conducted in November 2021, 67% of Texans support marijuana legalization at the federal level. The importance of this poll is that 51% of respondents who identify as Republicans also support the reform.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.