TX Democratic Party calls for legalizing Marijuana

[Gabby Hayes]

The story is already making the rounds, but just so it doesn't fall through the cracks.......

www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/texas-dems-push-to-decriminalize-pot

[steve2470]

1. link:

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/texas-dems-push-to-decriminalize-pot

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Texas Democratic party is calling for the decriminalization of marijuana, but insists that the move does not suggests it condones usage of the controlled substance.

"The Texas Democratic Party does not condone the use of marijuana," said party spokeswoman Rebecca Acuna. "Our platform simply recognizes that laws currently in place do nothing to promote public safety or fiscal responsibility. We are calling for policies that are smart on crime and will transition non-violent individuals from jail and into treatment."

At their state convention this month in Houston, Democrats adopted a plank in their platform urging "the President, the Attorney General and the Congress to support the passage of legislation to decriminalize the possession of marijuana and regulate its use, production, and sale as is done with tobacco and alcohol."

[patrice]

2. Good step forward!!but evidence of the political climate: "...don't condone use..." Do they condone

the use of alcohol by serving it at party functions?

Sorry to complain, just soooooooooooooooooo tired of the hypocrisy!

[Blue_In_AK]

3. I had a wheelchair-bound friend at the University of Houston

back in the '60s who got busted with a joint and did some serious time. I certainly hope Texas lightens up.

I forget how Draconian pot laws have continued to be in some states since possession of up to an ounce for personal use has been virtually legal in Alaska since 1975. Ravin v. State. Gotta love Alaska's constitution.

[trusty elf]

8. Blue, remember Lee Otis Johnson?

They busted him for selling a joint to an undercover cop, and he got 30 years!

[Blue_In_AK]

13. Yes, I do remember that.

Texas was terrible. Looking back on it now, I realize I was taking my life in my hands. I'm so glad I made it out of there (and Denver -- remember "The police in Denver don't want none of them longhairs hangin' round"?) without a criminal record. Yikes. ...

[patrice]

4. Dagnabbit! Welcome to DU Gabby Hayes!

Have fun here.

[Gabby Hayes]

6. It is a fun place

Thankyou.

[2ndAmForComputers]

12. Welcome, and check your inbox. There's important information there.

[onestepforward]

5. Lawrence O'Donnell had a nice piece on this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45755883/vp/47884103#VpFlash

Welcome to DU!

[Gabby Hayes]

7. Thanks.......

for the welcome and the link. May I just add, in the words of my great-granddaddy.......

[Warren DeMontague]

9. A call for sanity, excellent.

Good for the TX Democratic Party, and welcome to DU G. Hayes.

FWIW, always loved these guys:

[Gothmog]

10. Texas Demcocratic Party and the Texas Forum are proud of this

Don Bankston is the SDEC member who wrote this platform. Don is from Fort Bend County. I was at the State Convention when this platform was adopted.

The Texas forum has been following this for a whole http://www.democraticunderground.com/10782986

BTW, the platform also calls for the repeal of the death penalty

[rppper]

11. So we can smoke weeeeeed.....

With Willie again!!!

As a man raised in the Tyler/Longview area, I'm proud that good old East Texas homegrown used to Make the back page of high times quite often, but I'm sure Willies privy to some moisture sapping, mind bending purple haze herb not of that state....

Here's a pic of what I grew up
On....

[Uncle Joe]

14. Kudos to the Texas Democratic Party for its' sanity on this issue.

Thanks for the thread, and welcome to D.U. Gabby Hayes.