Legislation to decriminalize marijuana possession has been filed in the Texas Legislature.
State Representative Joe Moody has prefiled legislation that would decriminalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana. The measure would make it so that anyone caught with up to an ounce could be fined a maximum of $250, but would not receive any jail time or criminal record. This is in stark contrast to current law, where possessing up to an ounce is punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 and up to six months in jail (as well as a misdemeanor charge on your record).
“Civil penalty legislation is the first thing I’ve filed on the first day of filing for the 86th Session”, said Moody in a press release. “There’s been an incredible swell of bipartisan support since last session, and the official Texas Republican and Democratic platforms both approve of this kind of reform now,”. Moody says he’s “optimistic that this will be the session we finally see smarter, fairer marijuana laws in Texas.”
In total there was $135,536,453 in marijuana and marijuana products purchased legally in Colorado in September. This is slightly less than the $141 million sold in August, which set a record in the state for the most marijuana sold in a given month.
On Tuesday Michigan voters handily passed Amendment 2, which legalizes marijuana for everyone 21 and older. The measure will now take effect 10 days after election results are certified, which almost always occurs in early December This would put the state on track to have marijuana legalization by the end of the year.
“There are hundreds of compounds found in the marijuana plant, each contributing differently to the antiepileptic and psychiatric effects”, states the study’s abstract. “Despite considerable community interest in the use of CBD for paediatric epilepsy, there has been little evidence for its use apart from anecdotal reports, until the last year. ” Researchers note that “Three randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials in Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome found that CBD produced a 38% to 41% median reduction in all seizures compared to 13% to 19% on placebo.”
Proposition 2 was passed today by a majority of voters, showing that medical marijuana has strong support even in one of the most conservative and religious states in the country.
Proposal 18-1 has been given approval this evening by Michigan voters, with over 55% in support. Put forth by the Committee to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, the initiative legalizes the possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, or up to 10 ounces at a private residence, for those 21 and older. The measure also legalizes the personal cultivation of up to 12 marijuana plants.
“Cannabidiol (CBD), one of the non-psychotomimetic compounds of Cannabis sativa, causes anxiolytic-like effects in animals, with typical bell-shaped dose-response curves”, states the study’s abstract. “No study, however, has investigated whether increasing doses of this drug would also cause similar curves in humans. The objective of this study was to compare the acute effects of different doses of CBD and placebo in healthy volunteers performing a simulated public speaking test (SPST), a well-tested anxiety-inducing method.”
The study, titled Joint Effects: A Pilot Investigation of the Impact of Bipolar Disorder and Marijuana Use on Cognitive Function and Mood, was published by the journal PLoS One, as well as the National Institute of Health.
In its ruling he court found that adults have a fundamental right to personal development which lets them decide their recreational activities without interference from the state.
