MarijuanaIt’s time to legalize marijuana in Texas.
Most polls show an overwhelming majority of Americans support legalization. More and more states are legalizing marijuana each year. In Texas, the platforms of the Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian Parties all call for decriminalizing marijuana. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, 11 states have made marijuana legal for all adults, and an additional 15 have “decriminalized” simple possession, meaning they don’t impose jail time for possessing small amounts. Thirty-three states have medical marijuana programs. According to a 2018 Quinnipiac poll, 61% of Texans support legalizing marijuana for personal use. Marijuana is safer than alcohol and has some medicinal uses. Survey show over 20 million Americans used marijuana in the past year, many in states where it’s still illegal. Libertarians support legalizing marijuana because we think people should be free to do whatever they want with their own bodies. Additionally, there are many clear benefits to ending marijuana prohibition. Arresting people for marijuana use costs a lot of money for the police, courts, and jails. Marijuana prohibition causes violence in the U.S. and other countries as drug dealers fight over sales territories. You can’t call the police if someone steals your marijuana. You can’t report bad quality on Facebook the way we do with other products. People who are arrested for using marijuana have criminal records that often make it hard to get jobs for the rest of their lives. Drug abuse can be harmful, but the war on drugs is even more harmful. In 2019, the Texas House overwhelmingly approved a bill to lower the penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana, but Lt. Governor Dan Patrick killed the bill in the Senate. More resources: Texas Norml: TexasNorml.org Los Angeles Times: With U.S. competition Marijuana Policy Project: Colorado and Washington: Life After Legalization and Regulation |
Marijuana
• Legalize the sale and use of marijuana.
• Expand access to medical marijuana. LibertarianBoosterPAC.org |
