Texas
Cannabis in Texas: A Look Ahead to Legalization and Beyond
A Uniquely Texas Approach to Cannabis The last few decades have seen the United States move forward state-by-state with the legalization of cannabis. Every state is charting its own unique path, and nowhere is this truer than with the state of Texas. The Lone Star State has made its way from being staunchly anti-cannabis to […]
Texas Takes Advantage of the 2018 Farm Bill
When Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 339, also known as the Texas Compassionate Use Act, into law in 2015, many Texans expressed frustration. The purpose of the act was to allow the THC treatment of illness via prescription, opening up the state’s medicinal cannabis market. However, the act authorized only low-THC cannabis oil […]
Lone Star Cannabis: What’s Holding Texas Back?
Adult-use cannabis has gained steam across the nation as more and more states jump on the legalization train. As of the writing of this article, 23 states have legalized adult-use while another 15 have allowed the sale of cannabis for medicinal purposes, for a total of 38 green states. Meanwhile, Texas still has stiff penalties […]
Pot industry pleads its case against potential Texas CBD ban
A month after a Texas health agency proposed cracking down on CBD, the cannabis industry is actively trying to change the minds of health authorities about CBD to keep the products on shelves throughout the state.
Advocates Push for a 2017 Texas Medical Marijuana Bill in Austin
Advocates push for a 2017 Texas medical marijuana bill during a Constituent Advocacy Day that brought a few hundred cannabis supporters to the state capitol, in Austin. The effort to galvanize support for cannabis in the southern state was organized by a coalition of groups including chapters of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana […]
The post Advocates Push for a 2017 Texas Medical Marijuana Bill in Austin appeared first on The Weed Blog.
Two Lawyers From Texas Release New Song of the Summer, “Don’t Eat Your Weed”
With some of the toughest weed laws in the country, it’s no wonder many touring musicians and other passerby get tangled up in petty possession charges on their way through the Lone Star State. A pair of Texas attorneys are trying to alleviate the issue somewhat and help prevent misdemeanors from becoming felonies. Will Hutson […] Thanks to marijuana.com
Dallas Texas: Chief of Police Admits Tickets Over Incarceration Is “just so damn practical”
The Dallas City Council and local Police Chief are pondering the cultivation of a much-needed pilot program – similar to the cite and release program scheduled to roll out in the Houston area on January 1, 2016 – Dallas police would instead issue citations to individuals busted with a small amount of cannabis. Currently in the […]
Texas Bust: Daughter of DEA Chief Called ‘Adorable Drug Kingpin’
The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Beaumont, Texas, Bill Furay, has long been considered a heavy hitter within the DEA’s underground world of ruthless narcotic officers. And while he’s been famously quoted, telling those who’d listen, “You don’t see many drug traffickers retire,” his 19-year-old daughter Sarah, apparently never got that sermon.
According to a post on Raw Story, the Texas DEA agent worked diligently at creating havoc and mayhem for the Mexican drug cartel along the border. Becoming “the implacable scourge of drug dealers,” and someone who was a “ familiar presence at triumphant DEA press conferences announcing mass arrests and seizures of contraband and proceeds.”
On his way to the top of the DEA food chain, Furay led a large-scale drug bust called “Operation Blood Loss” in 2009, which boosted his professional career within the DEA hierarchy; eventually leading to another massive DEA drug bust in 2010, this time taking on the Sinaloa drug cartel’s activity along the US border.
And he’s apparently been milking that notoriety ever sense…
Most recently, Furay explained his antidrug crusade by pointing out to a group of reporters the obvious, “You don’t see many drug traffickers retire. Either they end up in prison, or they end up dead.” With the irony fueled subtext of his comment underlining the fact that it’s DEA agents like him that turn up the pressure on street level drug dealers.
Looking to follow in her father’s footsteps (sort of), Sarah also created an elevated name for herself within her chosen industry.
The seemingly ironic thing is… she played for the other team. Slinging coke, speed, acid, and whatever else she could get her hands on.
When the daughter’s bedroom was raided, police confiscated “31.5 grams of coke packaged for sale, 126 grams of some chronic marijuana, 29 ‘ecstasy’ tablets, methamphetamine and 60 doses of a drug similar to LSD.”
Unfortunately for Sarah, thanks to DEA agents like her dear old dad, the Lone Star State is known for handing down extremely harsh sentences for drug-related crimes.
Provided her father doesn’t pull any strings – Sarah is now staring down the barrel of at least three felony charges. And according to the Raw Story post, she could face up to 215 years in prison and a fine of $30,000.
As this dysfunctional family drama continues to unwind, one can’t help but wonder if Bill Furay’s understanding of the war on drugs has changed? Particularly now that his own daughter may soon be calling the Texas prison system home for the foreseeable future.
People in america Like Marijuana Greater than Congress and Leader Obama
Leader Barack Obama’s recent approval rankings are at 42%. Congress is affected with a level worse approval rating of 13%. We can’t just blame a moody American public because you will find some approval amounts increasing. The thought of legalizing leisure marijuana is greatly accepted individuals two battling branches of presidency.
Inside a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 55% of participants supported the thought of legalizing marijuana and controlling it in an identical fashion to Colorado and Washington Condition. Another 24% of the nation didn’t support legalisation but didn’t feels laws and regulations went by condition congress and voters ought to be repealed. The amounts are shifting rapidly toward a huge most of People in america searching to repair a nearly century old damaged system. The support isn’t unanimous and could be divided by groups. For example, as NBC NEWS stated, People in america aged 18-34 favor legalisation with a massive 49 point margin. Individuals over the age of 65 are against 59-38, though that’s considerably less resistance than a couple of years back for your age group. Older People in america tend to be more split lower the center. The amounts also break lower along party lines as Dems largely favor the concept (34 point margin) with Republicans opposing (By 23 points). Independents support legalizing 60-39%.
This signifies that it’s likely support is only going to grow. Recent claims may accelerate the support as Leader Obama lately established that marijuana wasn’t any more harmful than alcohol. U.S. Senator, Charles Schumer (D-NY) publically stated that the testing out new strategies in Colorado and Washington would be a “good idea.” Even among the champions of contemporary conservatism, Texas Governor Ron Perry, recommended he may aim to decriminalize marijuana.
The thought of legalisation, decriminalization, taxation, and also the growth of medicinal marijuana aren’t new. Most are able to see the possibility economic benefits. It leads someone to think that our chosen leaders simply love disorder and drama. When they legalized marijuana, are they going to fight less as tasks are produced and much more tax revenues are available in? What can they argue about when less teens are jailed, or our edges are safer having a less strong Mexican cartel? The thought of legalisation isn’t solely Republican or Democrat there might not be your final push until one for reds from the aisle understands a method to steal the loan. Meanwhile, People in america will still be awaiting our government to trap as much as the relaxation people.
The Republican Case for Legalizing Marijuana
From the social movements in the 1960s, to the Democratic party embracing the idea in recent years, marijuana reform has not enjoyed a tremendous amount of conservative support. Oddly enough, the modern bullet points for legalizing actually match the Republican/conservative philosophy perfectly.
Republican campaign manager, Ryan Scheutte recently submitted a piece to www.policymic.com, highlighting the reasons that marijuana legalization is and should be a Republican mission. The article describes quotes from Pauline Sabin, the first woman to sit on the Republican National Committee and was also the founder of The Women’s Organization for National Prohibition Reform. Back in 1932, she commented on alcohol prohibition by saying publicly “The young see the law broken at home and upon the street, can we expect them to be lawful?” Scheutte mentions that she was correct, and credits her with being an integral part in revoking the disastrous experiment of alcohol prohibition.
Scheutte discusses that it is acceptable to change one’s mind. In 2009, he ran a campaign for a candidate looking to unseat Ron Paul (R-TX), an outspoken defender of personal liberties and marijuana rights. The campaign referred to marijuana as a “troubling substance” and any measure to normalize it was a “blatant disregard” for the
districts values. Scheutte now admits he was mistaken and compares his view of only a few years ago to his great grandmother’s.
Ryan Scheutte then outlines, in detail, four benefits to marijuana legalization with all of them matching Republican values:
1. Pot would create jobs and help prevent Detroit-style bankruptcies
2. We could unplug overcrowded prisons and save tax dollars
3. Legalization could help starve violent cartels at home and abroad
4. We could ease suffering for those who live with chronic illnesses
We at marijuana.net agree! There are even more benefits, but for the time being it would be great progress if the Republican party adopted the above four principles. New Republican support is not a surprise as the vast majority of this country believes in serious marijuana reform. It is becoming the consensus issue.