Mark Holder
3/04/2015
Texas History 2306

Legalizing The Use of Marijuana in Texas
To Be or Not To Be

There is always a big debate over the legalization of recreational use of the commonly known all natural drug marijuana. In my opinion the debate stems from the stigma that has always been associated with marijuana use. That stigma, unto which was onset in the early 1960’s from the “ Hippy” generation has carried over into modern day, thus making the use of weed, marijuana, gongja. Reefer, or chronic as a substance that is destined to lead you to destruction. It would be easy for me to reference a lot of different resources when addressing this subject, but since I have so much hands on experience in the use of cannabis, I will start with myself and my history of the use of marijuana and why I feel like it should be legalized. My use of marijuana started at the age of 12. It was at a point in my life as to choose which side of peer pressure that I would submit to. I initially tried cigarettes, as a matter of fact a variety of brands, none to which I can actually say suited my taste. My first experience with marijuana took me to a place of calmness. My biggest fear of my first smoke was “What are the side effects?”.
Needless to say my side effects were tolerable very to me, and damaging to any ones kitchen that I was in, because I was extremely hungry and very inquisitive, during mediocre conversations. This is a brief summary of my personal history and now I will emphasize my personal perspective on the legalization of recreational marijuana use. The use and distribution for profit should be legalized in Texas for many reasons. I have compiled a list of reasons, some from my personal agendas and some from financial facts from other states such as Colorado and Washington who has surely seen more profit than turmoil from the industry of WACKY TOBACCY!! If I may let me state that I have been arrested for POM on numerous occasions. If my memory serves me correct, I would say that I have at least7 arrest dealing with marijuana in some shape form or fashion. Now the reason for me pointing that out is to give a glimpse into the money being spent to arrest, process, feed, house, and try to convict a person over a drug that grows all natural as the grass on the ground. At a glance lets look at the article Chris Moran from the Houston Chronicle wrote in June of 2010 giving facts of how Harris County was paying other counties in state and out of state to house prisoners because of overcrowding. A potential criminal justice price war could benefit local taxpayers as counties across Texas look to fill empty jail cells and at least two members of Commissioners Court look for a better deal to lock up Harris County's inmate overflow.
As it stands, Texas counties are getting most of Harris County's overflow jail business even though there are cheaper cells for rent out of state.
Louisiana parishes generally charge about $38 per day to house an inmate. A sheriff's spokesman confirmed an offer from one Louisiana parish offering jail beds for $29 a day. The going rate in Texas is in the $42 to $48 range, according to a Houston Chronicle review of contracts.
Yet, Harris County has only 263 inmates in Louisiana and 1,293 in other Texas counties.
Commissioners Steve Radack and Jerry Eversole held up renewal of a contract with Newton County on Tuesday, and suggested that Harris County needs to do more to get the cheapest possible jail beds.
CHRIS MORAN, Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle | June 9, 2010 Posted on February 10, 2010 by Herman Martinez
Houston, Harris County, Texas Marijuana Possession Arrests Causing Unnecessary Jail Overcrowding?
While there is been a lot of talk about building a new jail in Harris County, Texas there has not been much discussion about reducing the amount of people that are in jail today for a low level misdemeanor offense such as marijuana possession. I have stated before that the law in Texas allows for a police officer to cite a person to appear in one of our fifteen County Criminal Court at Law for marijuana possession. The Harris County District Attorney's Office (HCDAO) has openly refused to allow officers to do this for the past two years despite the aim of the law being reduction of jail overcrowding. The HCDAO prides itself on following the law, but for some reason is not doing it in this instance. Meanwhile, people are getting arrested and await a court date while being housed in the overcrowded Harris County jail. Why is the public allowing this to happen if current public opinion is against the policy of jail time for small amounts of marijuana possession? Probably, because the media is not reporting this discrepancy as they should.
It is time that Sheriff Adrian Garcia, all 15 misdemeanor judges, and the Harris County District Attorney, Pat Lykos start allowing officers to write citations for low level marijuana possession like other counties have been doing for a while now. Alternatively, if the HCDAO opposes them on this issue pretrial bonds should be granted for every person that is charged with this crime. A pretrial bond will insure that someone is not jailed for something that the law clearly states may be handled by a citation. In turn, this may reduce the amount of people that sit in the county jail. I can not believe that this is that difficult to implement. (Houston Criminal Law Journal Herman Martinez February 10, 2010) These are some of the facts of where our tax payer money is spent on petty crime. The following would be testimonies of the profitable and beneficial use of marijuana and concrete reasons that Texas should legalize the use there of.
The New York Times’ Adam Nagourney and Rick Lyman took a hard look at medicinal marijuana in California in an article published over the weekend. They found that 17 years after medical marijuana was legalized, the stark warnings about the state’s future were unfounded.
Marijuana, which is widely available even out with a medical card, has replaced alcohol for many as a their substance of choice. Research shows that driving while stoned is less dangerous than driving while drunk. And the fears that underage teenagers would find easy access to cannabis have not been borne out.
Despite law enforcement’s opposition to marijuana legalization, cannabis is on the march. Colorado and Washington recently made the jump to full legalization. “These states will experience a reduction in the social harms resulting from alcohol use: Reducing traffic injuries and fatalities is potentially one of the most important,” researchers D. Mark Anderson and Daniel Rees told the Times.
These states are also likely to see an economic boom as a result of the legalization. In California, the medical marijuana industry has led to tax revenue and local wealth. One marijuana dispensary in Oakland collected $1.2 million in sales tax last year for the city.
And for marijuana users, legalization has been a boon. The Times reports that competing dispensaries bring down the price of marijuana and sparked an industry full of edibles, marijuana-rich oils and topical ointments with THC.
In my opinion marijuana is here to stay,so why not benefit from it all the way around? YES TO LEGALIZING MARIJUANA IN TEXAS!!

Works Cited

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Harris-County-looks-for-cheaper-jail-cells-1710333.php http://www.alternet.org/drugs/benefits-legalized-marijuana http://legalizationofmarijuana.com/is-texas-going-to-legalize-marijuana.html
Marlon Holden 11/06/1971