Confusing THC regulations show why Texas needs to legalize and regulate marijuana | Editorial
The Houston Chronicle editorial board has a piece about the state's confusing THC regulations and a local initiative to deprioritize enforcement of low-level marijuana possession laws by reiterating its call for Texas to legalize and regulate marijuana. Here is a key quote:
>Whether these new laws will be stringently enforced remains to be seen. Harris County, for instance, has long deprioritized low-level marijuana possession under four ounces. The District Attorney’s Office runs a diversion program for marijuana offenders, which includes a 90-day community supervision period.
>A segment of Houston voters want to push decriminalization a step further. A progressive advocacy organization successfully petitioned for a citywide ballot referendum calling for the Houston Police Department to formally deprioritize misdemeanor cannabis possession.
>Of course, this would all be a lot less confusing if we just treated marijuana like we do alcohol — as a vice that is tightly regulated and limited to licensed businesses and adult consumers. Instead we’re stuck with a regulatory regime where we’ve banned the marijuana equivalent of beer while allowing the sale of overproof Jello shots. Polls of Texans show broad support for legalizing marijuana. More than half the states in the country have already done it, raising significant sums of tax revenue as a result.