Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Pot makes you mellow while alcohol makes you fight.
The argument for legalizing marijuana is not new, but the television commercial broadcast on cable news stations in the state's largest cities is unprecedented.
In the commercial, a former Texas police officer and California narcotics detective says people under the influence of marijuana are not nearly as dangerous as those who have consumed too much alcohol. Therefore, he says, Texans should not waste their time and money putting marijuana users in jail.
The ad calls for passage of House Bill 507 authored by El Paso Democrat Joe Moody. The bill made it out of committee, a first for a bill that would decriminalize marijuana possession in Texas, but is unlikely to get a vote by the full House. Other bills call for the full legalization of pot, but have not made it out of committee.
The ad was produced by Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, which says it is "a broad coalition of organizations, activists, and community leaders dedicated to realizing effective, efficient, and evidence-based marijuana policies in Texas." The group is supported by the Marijuana Policy Project, a national advocacy group that says it has 32,000 members.
According to Open Secrets, the Marijuana Policy Project had given $288,000 in political donations through mid-2014. The group also operates a 501(c)4 group, that does not have to report it's donors. The Marijuana Policy Project has been involved in legalization campaigns across the country.
The alcohol industry is not taking efforts to legalize pot sitting down. The industry has spent millions fighting legalization in states where such bills appear more likely to pass.
The bottom line is that legal pot is big business, as demonstrated in Washington state and Colorado, which have seen more than a billion in sales of recreational marijuana. Medical marijuana in California generated $1.1 billion in sales last year.
Successful companies in those states are salivating at accessing Texas, the nation's second-most populous state. That's why legalization campaigns are better financed than ever.
Moody's bill is unlikely to pass, but after making it out of committee this year, the chances are better for the Legislature to take it more seriously in the next legislative session in 2017. That also gives the marijuana lobby another two years to convince lawmakers of every stripe that putting people in jail for pot possession is bad public policy. If the money spent on TV commercials this week means legalized pot in 2017, then it's a good investment.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana industry sees a big market in Texas - Houston Chronicle
Author: Chris Tomlinson
Contact: Newsroom contacts - Houston Chronicle
Photo Credit: Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle
Website: Houston News, Sports, Business, and Entertainment - The Houston Chronicle at Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
The argument for legalizing marijuana is not new, but the television commercial broadcast on cable news stations in the state's largest cities is unprecedented.
In the commercial, a former Texas police officer and California narcotics detective says people under the influence of marijuana are not nearly as dangerous as those who have consumed too much alcohol. Therefore, he says, Texans should not waste their time and money putting marijuana users in jail.
The ad calls for passage of House Bill 507 authored by El Paso Democrat Joe Moody. The bill made it out of committee, a first for a bill that would decriminalize marijuana possession in Texas, but is unlikely to get a vote by the full House. Other bills call for the full legalization of pot, but have not made it out of committee.
The ad was produced by Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, which says it is "a broad coalition of organizations, activists, and community leaders dedicated to realizing effective, efficient, and evidence-based marijuana policies in Texas." The group is supported by the Marijuana Policy Project, a national advocacy group that says it has 32,000 members.
According to Open Secrets, the Marijuana Policy Project had given $288,000 in political donations through mid-2014. The group also operates a 501(c)4 group, that does not have to report it's donors. The Marijuana Policy Project has been involved in legalization campaigns across the country.
The alcohol industry is not taking efforts to legalize pot sitting down. The industry has spent millions fighting legalization in states where such bills appear more likely to pass.
The bottom line is that legal pot is big business, as demonstrated in Washington state and Colorado, which have seen more than a billion in sales of recreational marijuana. Medical marijuana in California generated $1.1 billion in sales last year.
Successful companies in those states are salivating at accessing Texas, the nation's second-most populous state. That's why legalization campaigns are better financed than ever.
Moody's bill is unlikely to pass, but after making it out of committee this year, the chances are better for the Legislature to take it more seriously in the next legislative session in 2017. That also gives the marijuana lobby another two years to convince lawmakers of every stripe that putting people in jail for pot possession is bad public policy. If the money spent on TV commercials this week means legalized pot in 2017, then it's a good investment.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana industry sees a big market in Texas - Houston Chronicle
Author: Chris Tomlinson
Contact: Newsroom contacts - Houston Chronicle
Photo Credit: Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle
Website: Houston News, Sports, Business, and Entertainment - The Houston Chronicle at Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
