Pubdate: Thu, 19 Feb 2015
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2015 The Dallas Morning News, Inc.
Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/send-a-letter/
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117

POT BACKERS LOBBY DUBIOUS LEGISLATORS

AUSTIN - Nearly 300 marijuana enthusiasts made their way to the Texas 
Capitol on Wednesday to persuade tough-on-crime Republicans to loosen 
their stance on the drug.

They were sober and dressed to impress. And though lawmakers may give 
their proposal some consideration, their hopes are likely to go up in smoke.

Undeterred by the conservative leadership's anti-pot position, Shaun 
McAlister of Arlington left home at 5:30 a.m. to drive to Austin. He was 
determined to educate lawmakers about the benefits he believes marijuana 
has to offer. The North Texas Republicans he met with were polite but 
noncommittal.

McAlister, executive director of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the 
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, is part of a 
coalition supporting bills to lessen the penalties for possession of 
small amounts of marijuana. Eventually, he'd like to see medical and 
recreational use of marijuana legalized in Texas.

McAlister didn't happen to cross paths with a group of Texas sheriffs 
who were also lobbying at the Capitol on Wednesday, toting a different 
message. A.J. Louderback, president of the Sheriffs' Association of 
Texas, said his organization takes a hard line against decriminalization 
or legalization of pot.

"We don't think it's good for Texas," Louderback said. He added: "We 
don't want to take something that's illegal and is a gateway drug ... 
and increase the use of that."

While legalization remains a vast longshot in Texas, House Speaker Joe 
Straus said he feels the discussion is becoming "more serious."

"I'm not predicting that a bill will pass, but I do think there will be 
some consideration, when before it may have just been put off to the 
side," the San Antonio Republican told government students and faculty 
at the University of Texas at Austin last week.

Referring to medical uses of marijuana, Straus said: "It's pretty moving 
when you talk to the parent of a child who thinks that laws are 
restricting the ability of a family to get help for their children."

However, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said he won't support legislation to 
allow the medical or recreational use of marijuana. And Gov. Greg 
Abbott, according to a spokesman, "supports current drug laws and 
opposes the legalization of marijuana."

`Ruined' by arrest

Decriminalization is the coalition's first and biggest priority, said 
Heather Fazio, Texas political director of the Marijuana Policy Project.

Currently, possession of 2 ounces of marijuana or less is a Class B 
misdemeanor. Offenders could spend up to 180 days in jail and be fined 
$2,000.

Arlington resident Teresa Rushing told lawmakers that a cousin's life 
was "ruined" by a possession arrest.

"Once they've served time in jail, they get out and it's impossible for 
them to find a legal job," Rushing said. "So therefore they go back into 
the criminal world and resort to more criminal activity to make money to 
save themselves and their family. It's what they have to do to survive."

Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, has filed a bill that would treat possession 
of up to an ounce of marijuana like a traffic ticket. Offenders would be 
cited. They would then have to appear in court and pay a fine of $100 or 
less. But they wouldn't be arrested or left with a criminal record.

Landlords, employers and colleges often require applicants to disclose 
any criminal history.

"We are creating a whole class of folks who are unemployable," Moody said.

Illegal medicine

No one has yet filed a bill to legalize medical marijuana, but the 
coalition is seeking a sponsor.

McAlister said his brother suffers from a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 
and must undergo radiation therapy. Medical experts say marijuana can 
lessen the harsh side effects of such treatments.

The government "can't be surprised when we're illegally medicating 
ourselves to save our own lives," McAlister said. "They're making us 
criminals by forcing us to have no other choice."

The coalition told lawmakers that THC, the psychoactive chemical in 
marijuana, can serve as an appetite stimulant for cancer patients and 
others. And CBD, a non-euphoric compound found in cannabis plants, can 
lessen seizures in people with epilepsy. It's also a pain reliever.

Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin, has filed a bill in each of the past 
six legislative sessions that would provide a legal defense for people 
who use marijuana for medical purposes. It has never been brought to a 
floor vote. He hopes it will be better received this year.

Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, is pushing a more narrowly focused 
measure. it would allow people with intractable epilepsy who haven't 
found success with other medications to use low-THC cannabis.
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MAP posted-by: Matt