Marijuana.com

Buzzby

Weed Watch: Legislators Seek Reduced Punishment Or Decriminalization
Jordan Smith | Austin Chronicle | 03/25/2005

According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, state and local authorities combined spend nearly $8 billion each year trying to enforce federal marijuana prohibition. In a new report – titled "Crimes of Indiscretion"(pdf) – NORML reports that, according to Department of Justice statistics, nearly $4 billion in costs are associated with funding police work. They also report that each marijuana-related arrest costs taxpayers more than $10,000 – yet prohibition has done little to curb use of the drug. In Texas, nearly 50,000 people were arrested in 2002 on marijuana-related charges – about half of all the drug-related arrests, and nearly 5% of all arrests. Indeed, state Rep. Harold Dutton cited these same numbers – and more – when presenting HB 254 to the House Criminal Justice committee on March 15. Dutton's bill would reduce possession of up to one ounce of marijuana to a class C misdemeanor, punishable by fine only, and would downgrade various other marijuana-possession charges. (Originally, Dutton's bill also banned the state from suspending a driver's license for individuals convicted of the downgraded misdemeanor. But Dutton removed that stipulation after learning that the feds would withhold highway funds if the state refused to revoke driving privileges for those convicted on any drug charge.) On Tuesday afternoon, Dutton pointed out that nationwide in 2003, nearly 755,000 people were arrested on marijuana-related charges, more than 90% of which were for mere pot possession. In Texas, 97% of the arrests on pot charges are for simple possession, he noted, at a cost to taxpayers of nearly $480 million per year. His is a "smart on crime" proposal, he said, that would save millions and free up law enforcement resources, and jail and prison space, which could be devoted to pursuing violent criminals.

Reps. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, and Terry Hodge, D-Dallas, who are on the committee chaired by Rep. Terry Keel, R-Austin, were receptive to Dutton's proposal – although Hodge expressed some reluctance at requiring court-ordered substance-abuse risk assessments (which she seemed to think was somewhat superfluous and contrary to the measure's attempt at serious budget savings). Surprisingly, no one stepped up to testify against the measure and one victim advocate, Travis County's own Ellen Halbert – who served as a member of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's oversight board and is currently head of the Travis Co. District Attorney's victims assistance office – urged support for the bill in a letter presented to the committee by ACLU attorney Ann del Llano. According to Halbert, the measure makes "really good sense," and would free up resources that should be targeting offenders who really "need to be in jail." Indeed, del Llano said, the measure would make minor pot possessors "pay into the system, instead of the system [having to] lay out tax dollars" to prosecute and incarcerate them. The bill was left pending so that Dutton could amend it to provide an enhanced penalty for repeat offenders and a provision that would send those convicted under the new law to some sort of class, akin to that required for minors convicted of alcohol possession.

In other pot-related news, Vermont state Rep. Winston Dowland earlier this month introduced legislation that would legalize marijuana and create a state system for regulation and taxation akin to alcohol regulation. In a press release, Dowland said that pot prohibition has failed in his state. Approximately 10% of Vermont residents smoke pot each month, Dowland said. "Prohibition simply has not worked," he said. "How many more billions of dollars are we going to spend on this failed policy before we stop and consider whether there might not be a better way?"

__________________

 

Lothar121

There is reluctance to support the new amended bill and we have to let the committee know that we support the amended version. If you haven't yet, I challenge you to call all the committee members, even if you are not in their district. Be polite, and let them know that you want them to motion the amended form of H.B. 254 for a committee vote and to vote yes. Tell them you wish to see some transparency within the committee and to move it to a full house floor debate. Make sure they know you are aware of the amendments to the bill, but let them know you still support it because overall it will still save the state tremendous sums of resources, lessen the amount of petty marijuana offenders in jail, and help the already clogged probation system.

Phone Numbers for the committee:

Representative Terry Keel (R-TX 47th), Chair - (512) 463-0652 Representative Debbie Riddle (R-TX 150th), Vice-Chair - (512) 463-0572 Representative Mary Denny (R-TX 63rd) - (512) 463-0688 Representative Elvira Reyna (R-TX 101st) - (512) 463-0464 Representative Aaron Pena (D-TX 40th) - (512) 463-0426 Representative Terri Hodge (D-TX 100th) - (512) 463-0586 Representative Paul C. Moreno (D-TX 77th) - (512) 463-0638 Representative Juan Escobar (D-TX 43rd) - (512) 463-0666 Representative Richard Raymond (D-TX 42nd) - (512) 463-0558

Make the call now. They will simply ask for your name, your phone number, and a brief message. In a matter of minutes your phone calls can move this bill forward instead of letting it die out pending in committee. Thanks to anyone in advance that takes action, as I already have!

__________________

Donate. Write. Make a difference..
Libertyindex | Posting Guidelines | Marijuana Policy Project | NORML | DPA | Drug WarRant | Media Awareness Project

king cola

But Dutton removed that stipulation after learning that the feds would withhold highway funds if the state refused to revoke driving privileges for those convicted on any drug charge.)

The feds always pull that bullsh*t. They did the samething with the alcohol, if states didn't lower the level they threatend to withhold highway funding.

In other pot-related news, Vermont state Rep. Winston Dowland earlier this month introduced legislation that would legalize marijuana and create a state system for regulation and taxation akin to alcohol regulation. In a press release, Dowland said that pot prohibition has failed in his state. Approximately 10% of Vermont residents smoke pot each month, Dowland said. "Prohibition simply has not worked," he said. "How many more billions of dollars are we going to spend on this failed policy before we stop and consider whether there might not be a better way?"

I agree 100% with this guy, problem is a few brain dead politicians are afraid of change, even for something as minor as people being able to use marijuana legally after a pathetic 75 year ban!

He forgot to mention that a lot of good pot is grown in Vermont, the drug czar just brags of Canada most of the time, theres some good farmers in Vermont and other places in this country that deserve some credit for potent bud

They talk of minors who get charged with possession of alcohol, samething could apply for regulating marijuana but for some reason some people still don't see this and say "THINK OF THE CHILDREN", "THIKN OF THE CHILDREN" when we talk of legalizing and regulating marijuana.

As of now everyone whos in possession of marijuana risks getting some kind of jail time, hows that for thinking of your children when they are being placed in juvenile hall for possession or an adult prison, not to mention the tax payers dollars it costs to keep them there each year! According to the movie "GRASS" by 1998 this country spent 300 billion in tax dollars on marijuana alone, then they argue that theres no money in the budget when theres more important things this country needs.

In one thread on here yesterday one person was talking of how when people make marijuana busts in grow houses they put on special suits with gas masks and everything else like they are walking into a toxic room even though it's just a plant.

My sister was telling me how she was watching the news, cocaine was found in a delivery box at a Macy's store or warehouse or something, then the news reporter said, the powder that was found in a box at a Macy's wasn't a hazardous substance, it was cocaine! She of course laughed at the statement much like i did after she told me because they consider marijuana grow houses hazardous to the point where these guys feel they need special suits to walk in there but yet they find a large package of cocaine and the news reporter calls it non hazardous when it's potent enough to kill people lol. They consider a pot plant a big deal though! I bet if it was B.C bud though they would go nuts over it and consider that hazardous!

Hopefully pot will be legalized one day, when alcohol was illegal they didn't have news papers publishing all kinds of b/s to keep it that way, they keep pot banned for almost 80 years based on lies, no ones ever died from non laced pot. The people who smoke marijuana are wrong about the information and the people who never smoked a joint in their life who make things up about it as they go along people seem to agree with lol. We are the gini pigs, we are still alive from using the weakest to strongest marijuana! The parents like mine who used pot back in the 60s and 70s smoked some potent strains that can be just as good if not better than the pot of today but again the word parents. The drug czar knows parents who used marijuana years ago will support it's use today but because they are parents and probably wouldn't say much if their kids used it, they know some or most will support it's use so now what i think these politicians try to do is turn the parents views by saying the pot of today is nothing like what you smoked years ago!

Theres a lot of pot smokers in Vermont as well as any other state but for one state that is recognized for having a large group of pot smokers, Vermont has the reputation for having a lot of friendly people, but they say pot causes violence! I'm not too sure about their crime rate but i'm almost certain theres very little there, besides people growing and smoking grass(victimless crime) He mentions that 10% of the residents there smoke pot each month, but that doesn't mean 10 percent of the whole state is using it, i'm sure the percentage of users is much greater, regardless atleast hes coming out and saying prohibition failed his state!