Texas House Approves Decriminalization Bills for Weed and More

New drug reform bills are moving quickly through the Texas Legislature, and we may even see some of these bills signed into law before the end of the year.

HB 2593 is gaining momentum and would reduce the penalty of up to 2 ounces of cannabis concentrate from a felony charge to a class B misdemeanor. HB 2593 has already passed a Texas House committee and is now moving to the Senate. Now that's where things could get a little tricky before landing on the Governor's desk.

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HB 99 would decriminalize the possession of two ounces or less of marijuana, and would prevent law enforcement from arresting a person for low-level possession. HB 99 is moving at a much slower pace, as it was filed in November of 2020 and was just passed out of the House Committee on April 27th. This bill is significant because a non-violent crime of possessing a plant should not lead to an arrest.

Another exciting bill moving through legislation is HB 441, which would avoid suspension, revocation, and denial of a driver’s license, plus allow expunction of certain records for possession of up to one ounce. Currently, Texas law enforcement is allowed to arrest a person simply for low level possession, but HB 441 would prohibit arrest. Instead, officers could only issue a citation.

I mean really, do you know how silly it is to be arrested and sentenced to 3 months in jail for possessing 2 grams of weed? It happens everyday in Texas! Then they suspend your license after that. Oh,  and don't forget you now have community service, probation, and court costs to handle. Who's going to hire you now though with your criminal record and no driver's license? Welcome to "the system."

It's time to end the drug war.