Texas House Moves Closer to Decriminalizing Marijuana

The Texas House of Representatives has given initial approval to a bill to decriminalize marijuana in the state, which would remove the risk of arrest or jail time for low-level possession of cannabis and allow people to eventually erase cannabis issues from their criminal records. The bill would make possession of up to one ounce of marijuana a Class C misdemeanor, removing the risk of jail time and instead imposing a maximum fine of $500. The House has already passed similar cannabis decriminalization proposals during the past two legislative sessions, but so far the proposals have consistently stalled in the Senate amid opposition from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.