Bill would lessen punishment for marijuana possession

News 8 Austin ^ | 2/18/2003

[new cruelty]

A state lawmaker from Houston wants to change the punishment for possession of marijuana.

Right now it's a Class B misdemeanor in Texas, punishable by a fine not to exceed $2,000 and/or confinement for a maximum of 180 days.

Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston has written a bill that makes possession of less than an ounce of marijuana a Class C misdemeanor.

It would also be the equivalent of a traffic ticket.

"You wouldn't lose your drivers license, you don't lose any of these other things that you do in a Class B setting," Dutton said.

Dutton doesn't condone marijuana use, but he says his bill would provide many people a second chance.

[new cruelty]

hehe, great points. im convinced.

[FreeTally]

hehe, great points. im convinced.

Are you being serious, or just a typical jerk with no legitimate argument to make? Its hard to tell with you.

[new cruelty]

Don't be so sensitive, barbara.

Reread the post that has you all bunched up. I'll rephrase it for you if it helps you relax: You're right, if you are living paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford the penalty, as the law stands now, it is best not to do the crime have the vice at all.

[MrLeRoy]

Never legal though, would not suggest we give an impression of approval to chemical vices.

So you must support banning the chemical vice of alcohol, so as not to give an impression of approval. Right?

[IncPen]

It doesn't, and anyone with an IQ of 50 knows it. People only support such laws for two reasons: A)They directly profit from the laws or B)They wish to force everyone to live how they want people to live.

You forgot:

C) They don't want to clean up or pay for other people's indulgences.

[IncPen]

Exactly. God declared one and only one of his creations "illegal", and that was the "Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil". When men make God's creation's "illegal", they set themselves up as gods. And I remember something in the Bible about "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me".

Actually, one of the tenets of sobriety in the 12 step program is to replace the 'god' of addiction with a 'higher' power.

[IncPen]

How impractical are we to declare a weed that is a mild intoxicant and less harmful than beer to be illegal? The scriptures contain much wisdom, and none of them suggest we ought to be teatotal.

The scriptures mention alcohol; do they mention recreational drug use?

[TightSqueeze]

That is a lot of money, money that could be used to buy some quality s#!t.

Pot will get you through times of no money better than money during times of no pot.

[TightSqueeze]

That is a lot of money, money that could be used to buy some quality s#!t.

Pot will get you through times of no money better than money during times of no pot.

[Blackyce]

We are never gone to get smart about the drug war. Punish the USERS not the SELLERS. Otherwise, make it legal. Punish the supply side of the equation and you will end up with a blackmarket, because as long as there is demand, there WILL be Supply. Drug-trafficking is economically predictable, its not a moral decision. IF you can make $5/hour doing something or $1000/hour doing something else alot more risky, then, despite the risk, someone will play that game every time.

[uncbob]

The scriptures mention alcohol; do they mention recreational drug use?

Ah yes
Alcohol is consumed for its nutrional and health benefits
especially on all the college campi
American students are the healthiest around

Of course adult males use it because it helps them meet all the good lookin chicks in the bars and least that is what the TV commercials tell me

[new cruelty]

Sorry, I was kidding, I'm not really convinced. I don't agree with you 100% and I hope you can live with that.

Its great that you want to fight for the good of mankind and all that flowery stuff. I may be there with along side you at the ballot if this issue ever comes to that. For now, I am of the mindset that if you can't afford the high price (be it money, time in jail, rehab, etc.), don't do it. If you can, knock yourself out.

[new cruelty]

lol, i'll remember that.

[uncbob]

C) They don't want to clean up or pay for other people's indulgences

Like all those beer cans and bottles along life's highway or those car wrecks from the druken drivers

[ThinkDifferent]

C) They don't want to clean up or pay for other people's indulgences

Who do you think pays to arrest, prosecute, and imprison drug users? And while they're in prison they aren't paying any taxes, guess who gets to make up the difference?

[IncPen]

Who do you think pays to arrest, prosecute, and imprison drug users? And while they're in prison they aren't paying any taxes, guess who gets to make up the difference?

Which is a known entity.

And the solution is to set all the drugs free on society, and there will be no consequences.

Riiight. Gotcha.

[Dan(9698)]

I can tell you are a Libertarian.

All rights resolve to:- I want to smoke dope.

Its a one note samba.

[ThinkDifferent]

And the solution is to set all the drugs free on society, and there will be no consequences.

No consequences? Of course not, and nobody claims that. But a number of studies have found that treatment is much more cost-effective than law enforcement as a way of controlling the drug problem. If your concern is truly about the costs to society of drug users, you should oppose the WOD.

[buffyt]

Yeee Hawww I loved the stuff in college. I never touch it now, as a respectable adult and parent... but if it were legal I would stop drinking wine and smoking cigarettes and I would have a Friday night joint, yes indeedy.

[BrooklynGOP]

I never really liked pot. I had at an ecstasy stage for a while though :)