The state of Texas has had enough.
Texans are fed up with their insane anti-cannabis laws, and representative Jessica Gonzalez is endeavoring to bring legal cannabis to the lone star state on a municipal basis.
Gonzalez has been working with local legislators and law enforcement officials in her home district to develop a plan of action that could potentially spread throughout the whole state over time.
The Current State Of Cannabis In The Lone Star State
Texas has some of the harshest cannabis laws in the country.
The state currently leads the country in cannabis arrests, which are disproportionately made against people of color. These laws were put in place by politicians with little to no knowledge about MMJ, CBD, or THC.
To access MMJ in Texas, you must first obtain a prescription from a physician. The physician can then write you a prescription for MMJ that can be filled at one of three dispensaries in the entire state. You must always have this doctor’s note on hand if you want to avoid legal trouble while using your medicine—even if it’s CBD oil!
MMJ patients also have limited options regarding strains and consumption methods because they’re limited to what’s available through one of the three legal dispensaries in the state.
If you’re looking for relief from chronic pain or other conditions but live in Texas, stay tuned—hope may be on the horizon! There are bills being debated that could change these harsh laws and make life easier for patients and consumers across the state.
The Future Of Adult-Use Cannabis In Texas
It’s time for Texas to legalize adult-use cannabis.
State Rep. Jessica Gonzalez, a Dallas Democrat, has introduced House Bill 1937, which would allow for regulated sales subject to a 10% tax. This falls in line with the views held by the majority of Texans—Sixty-seven percent of Texas voters responding to a recent University of Houston poll indicated support for adult-use cannabis legalization.
This isn’t the first time Gonzalez has tried to introduce a bill like this; she submitted the proposal in 2021 and couldn’t even get a hearing on it. Let’s hope that it sticks because it’s clear that Texans want to see their state move forward into the future instead of staying stuck in its own past.
Will Legality By Municipality Work?
Texas lawmaker Gonzalez is attempting to circumvent the ridiculous Texas cannabis laws by allowing municipalities to make this decision—but will it really work? Let’s take a look at a real-life example just a few states west.
California is an often-touted example of a legal cannabis system. Proposition 64, which legalized recreational use in 2016 and went into effect in 2018, has had its controversies, and one of the biggest issues has been the freedom municipalities have over regulating cannabis.
This has resulted in a weird system where cannabis is legal throughout the state but only available for sale in certain areas.
68% of California cities ban cannabis retail, including vast swaths of the Central Valley and rural areas that have historically been marijuana growers. There’s also been a lot of incongruent enforcement: some cities have banned dispensaries while allowing delivery services; others allow cannabis sales but not smoking or vaping (although many people still do both). The result is that there are roughly two dispensaries per 100,000 people in California—far fewer than most states with legal marijuana laws.
We’re not saying that Texas will end up like California, but it’s definitely possible.
We hope that the state will get the regulations right and create a system that regulates the industry and ensures that Texans can get their medicine. If cities could ban cannabis sales altogether or only allow them in certain areas, we could see a situation where some parts of the state are thriving while others aren’t benefiting from legalization.
It’s too soon to tell what kind of impact this bill will have on Texas, but we’re keeping an eye out for more updates!
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