Pushed by State Rep. Joe Moody (D- El Paso), a Texas marijuana decriminalization bill is currently on life support in the special session of the state Legislature.
Meant to pressure Texas Gov. Greg Abbott into addressing the legalization of medical marijuana in the state of Texas, and to decriminalize low-level possession for personal use, House Bill 334 has been largely ignored by the Texas governor.
But according to My Statesman, Rep. Moody, who chairs the jurisprudence committee and sponsored the legislation, explained that “continuing to work on the bill now by soliciting input will better position it for success during the next regular session of the state Legislature in 2019.”
Introduced on July 9, 2017, the passage and implementation of House Bill 334 would make the personal possession of small amounts of marijuana a civil issue, not a criminal violation. House Bill 334 is similar to a bill sponsored by Rep. Moody last year that passed a critical committee before dying during the regular legislative session.
As Rep. Moody explained, “this is an opportunity to get a head start” on next year’s legislative agenda.
The Texas representative from El Paso said he doubts the governor will voluntarily add the legislative issue to the state special session.
credit:marijuana.com
