Houston Chronicle by Cayla Harris and Raga Justin Nov. 11, 2020
Texas lawmakers file 11 bills to loosen marijuana laws, after legalizing hemp in 2019
Texas lawmakers set a record with over 60 marijuana-related bills in 2019 — and this year, they’ve already introduced 11 measures that could potentially loosen the legal restrictions on the drug, with two months to go before legislative session begins in January.
“The shift in public opinion has led to lawmakers taking more action on this issue,†said Heather Fazio, the director of the advocacy group Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, pointing to 2019’s legalization of hemp products containing less than 0.3 percent THC. “What we’re seeing is this huge movement where lawmakers are responding to their constituents who no longer support the status quo.â€
Still, Texas is among the states with the most restrictive marijuana laws in the nation. The state counted the most total arrests for marijuana possession in the country in 2018, according to a April ACLU report on racial disparity and drug possession, making up 44 percent of all drug-related arrests statewide.
More:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Texas-lawmakers-file-11-bills-to-loosen-marijuana-15720710.php
