Author Topic: The time has come for Texas to legalize marijuana — and decriminalize much more  (Read 217 times)

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Offline Elderberry

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Houston Chronicle by Chris Tomlinson Nov. 23, 2020

Tomlinson: The time has come for Texas to legalize marijuana — and decriminalize much more

American companies sell thousands of products that harm consumers, create addictions and generate health care costs for society-at-large, all in the name of personal liberty.

Legalizing marijuana, therefore, is completely consistent. Texas should follow the lead of 15 other states that have realized cost-savings and community benefits from legalization that far outweigh the downsides.

The first step, as they say, is to free your mind.

Almost every year for the past decade, some U.S. jurisdiction somewhere has loosened access to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in pot. Most states started by allowing medical marijuana, then reduced the penalties for possession and many are now legalizing THC completely.

Laws forbidding marijuana have never made sense in a country where alcohol and tobacco are legal. Excessive drinking costs the U.S. about 95,000 lives and $156 billion a year, while tobacco-related deaths total 480,000 a year, with illnesses costing the country $300 billion, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“There’s been a growth in our perception of addiction, we have more types of addiction and many people think we’ve had an intensification of addiction,” Courtwright explained. “It’s not just about illicit drugs anymore.”

The same is true of illicit drugs. Only 10 percent of people who misuse opioids become addicted to them, and only 10 percent of the population will experience a substance addiction in their lifetime, according to the National Institutes of Health. Laws criminalizing substances like marijuana, or even heroin, have done nothing to dent that 10 percent addiction rate.

More: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlinson/article/Time-has-come-for-Texas-to-legalize-marijuana-15734167.php

Offline IsailedawayfromFR

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No it's not.

It begets bigger problems if legalized.
No punishment, in my opinion, is too great, for the man who can build his greatness upon his country's ruin~  George Washington

Offline GrouchoTex

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I don't have a major problem with Marijuana.
I have been getting drug tested on my job since 1982, so I am not using it anyway.
But this headline from the local Houston channel 2 news made me smile:

Texas wins: Shiner Bock wins gold medal at prestigious European beer competition

 :beer: