Gov. Rick Perry for decriminalization of pot

San Antonio Express News ^ | 01/23/2014 | Kolten Parker

[thetallguy24]

SAN ANTONIO — Texas Gov. Rick Perry signaled Thursday that he's for the decriminalization of marijuana use — not legalization, but the softening of punishment for marijuana users in the border state.

“As governor, I have begun to implement policies that start us toward a decriminalization” by introducing alternative “drug courts” that provide treatment and softer penalties for minor offenses, Perry said during an international panel on drug legalization at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

His spokesman confirmed that Perry is staunchly opposed to legalization of marijuana because of the dangers that have been associated with the drug, but is committed to decriminalization policies to lower the punishment for its use in order to keep smokers out of jail.

“Legalization is no penalty at all, where as decriminalization doesn't necessarily mean jail time (for minor possession offenses.) It means more of a fine or counseling or some sort of program where you don't end up in jail but in a rehabilitative program,” said Lucy Nashed, a spokesman for Perry.

[Wallace T.]

Perry is retiring from office and, based on his dismal performance in the 2012 Republican nomination race, will not get the funding he would need to try again in 2016. So he has nothing to prove by supporting a form of amnesty for marijuana users.

[Responsibility2nd]

Decriminalizing drugs will much the same as decriminalizing drunk driving. Drunk driving is illegal here in Texas. But no big deal.

We are one of 8 states that DO NOT ALLOW DWI checkpoints. And unless you kill someone - you don’t go to jail either.

If you do get caught with a DWI, you get to throw some 3 to 5 thousand dollars at an attorney, who gets your sentence reduced to some 3 to 5 thousand dollar fine. But its no feloney for sure.

Lawyers Win. The State Wins.

Same with recreational pot. Getting caught with less than an ounce will only set you back a few hundered.

Course if you are caught with a pound or more (pusher) or caught repeatedly..... Jail Time.

[Chuckster]

Fifteen years ago I heard a lecturer say that in a generation we would wonder why it was ever illegal in the first place.

[familyop]

" by introducing alternative “drug courts” that provide treatment and softer penalties for minor offenses,"

That's part of a successful strategy. Help the addicts to get out of the slavery of drugs, and crack down hard on the dealers and money-fronters (corrupt local pillars of the community in business). Enlist the help of every willing citizen and reward them for it.

How China got rid of opium

[Marcella]

Hmm, you joined last April about the same time as the person pushing Tom Pauken for governor and you supported that guy and Pauken. Now, you are using the same technique to trash the governor as that thought to be relative of Pauken. Maybe you are that thought to be relative of Pauken as you sound like him. We will see.

[thetallguy24]

LOL no he’s in China. I don’t make posts of Communist propaganda at 3am like he does.

[livius]

Rehabilitation is good, and many places have already decriminalized possession of small amounts that were obviously not meant for sale.

I think marijuana is greatly underestimated as a dangerous drug and from personal experience, that is, what I saw among my high school friends and among those of my kids, there is no way it should be legalized. This is without really discussing the long term effects: I saw smart or average kids who were heavy users literally turn into spaced out losers who watched Scooby Doo all day. And it wasn’t funny or cute.

I know Obama wants it legalized because a stoned population is a docile population (plus, maybe his peculiar behavior is the result of the effects of pot on his Choom Gang brain?).

But Perry wants rehabilitation for people picked up with pot for personal use, and I think that’s a good thing.

[Svartalfiar]

Fifteen years ago I heard a lecturer say that in a generation we would wonder why it was ever illegal in the first place.

Actually, it should be "illegal in the second place". Marijuana was outlawed more so for it's commercial competition in industrial uses than for any kind of drug reasons. But I always find it curious, liberals generally hate tobacco but love marijuana, whereas we're generally the opposite. Why is that?

Hemp for Victory

[TheThirdRuffian]

“Drunk driving is illegal here in Texas. But no big deal. And unless you kill someone - you don’t go to jail either”

Wrong:

DWI, 1st Offense: Class B Misdemeanor in Texas
•Fine – A fine not to exceed $2,000.
•Jail – Confinement in the County Jail for a term of not less the 72 hours nor more that six (6) months. Open Container – If there was an open container of alcohol in your car when arrested, the minimum term of confinement is six (6) days in the county jail.

DWI, Second Offense: Class A Misdemeanor

•Fine – A fine not to exceed $4,000.00.
•Jail – Confinement in the County Jail for a term of not less than 72 hours nor more than one (1) year.

DWI, Third Offense (or greater): Third degree FELONY
•Fine – A fine not to exceed $10,000.00.
•Jail – Confinement in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division (Penitentiary) for a term of not less than 2 years nor more than ten (10) years.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Which big pharma company paid him to say that?

[henkster]

I represent a client charged in the following circumstances:

He’s just graduated from college, but he and his roommates didn’t quite realize the rules were different now. They were a little loud and boisterous in their apartment, and the neighbor called the cops. The cop smelled marijauna when he came to the door, told them to quiet down and get rid of the weed. The cop didn’t intend to do anything, but told his superiors, who contacted the local Drug Task Force/stormtrooper squad. They ran the dog past the door to the apartment, got a search warrant, and all eight of them stormed the place. They found a gram of marijuana in my client’s room, nine grams in a roommate’s room. Nothing else. No evidence they were selling weed; just small amounts for personal use.

All three guys arrested and CHARGED with a Felony for Maintaining a Common Nuisance. None of the guys have any record for anything.

Yep; a FELONY for a gram of pot in the bedroom.

I think it’s time to decriminalize pot just because of situations like this.

[RightOnTheBorder]

The problems I see with the WOD are the wealthy criminals, the legions of jack boots, and the ubiquitous violations of rights. While decriminalization will save us the trouble of feeding and housing drug users it will still maintain the government opression apparatus and will keep the supply and distribution in the hands of real criminals.

If we no longer care that it is consumed (enough to jail users) is it really worth it to keep the JBTs employed and the dealers rich?

[billhilly]

It would seem to save a lot of money if cigarette smokers didn’t get jail sentences. Same with Pot.

[billhilly]

It would seem to save a lot of money if cigarette smokers didn’t get jail sentences. Same with Pot.

[billhilly]

It would seem to save a lot of money if cigarette smokers didn’t get jail sentences. Same with Pot.

[DannyTN]

Until the bills for the schitzophrenia and bipolar disease comes in.

[fr_freak]

I saw smart or average kids who were heavy users literally turn into spaced out losers who watched Scooby Doo all day. And it wasn’t funny or cute.

Marijuana is a psycho-active drug, and therefore has harmful effects by definition. I'm sure we can all agree on that. But so does alcohol. Using the example of how marijuana has negative effects on teenagers is not an honest appraisal of its risk relative to something like alcohol, unless you compare its effects on teenagers to the effects of alcohol on teenagers. The reality is that teenagers are in a crucial state of development, both physical and mental, and ANY drug, legal or illegal, or chemical exposure, etc. will have a negative effect on the teenagers development. In other words, if all your buddies were drinking daily when they were teens, you would have seen destructive effects there, as well.

And NONE of this has anything to do with the potential decriminalization or legalization question, since that question refers to legal adults using the drugs. Nobody is arguing that it should be legal for minors.

[SeminoleCounty]

Perry signed into law in state tuition for Illegal Aliens....tried to force young girls to take an STD vaccine...tried to push a taxpayer funded 150 billion dollar NAFTA superhighway

Supporting drug use no surprise

Perry is no conservative

[SeminoleCounty]

You just want to give them drugs...right?

[fr_freak]

If we no longer care that it is consumed (enough to jail users) is it really worth it to keep the JBTs employed and the dealers rich?

Decriminalization is for people who don't have the balls to come out and say we should just make it legal. I'd like to see it legalized at the federal level, and let each state decide whether to legalize it at their level (I think they should, but let them decide for themselves). But then, I actually believe in the US Constitution.