REDUCING PENALTIES FOR POSSESSION OF SMALL AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA IS A
SENSIBLE IDEA

If marijuana were water, an ounce of it would fit into 2 tablespoons.
Under current state law, possession of that much marijuana, or even
much less, could net a 180-day jail sentence and a $2,000 fine. That's
a high price to pay, not only for the user, but also for taxpayers in
Texas, where jail and prison space is at a premium.

Under the terms of a bill filed by Houston Rep. Harold Dutton, a
person caught with an ounce or less of marijuana would be cited with a
Class C misdemeanor, the equivalent of a serious traffic ticket,
punishable by a fine up to $500, but without the possibility of jail.
Anyone carrying more than 1 ounce of marijuana, up to and including 2
ounces, could be charged with a Class B misdemeanor, which is
punishable by jail time up to 180 days and a fine not to exceed $2,000
- - the current penalty for all marijuana possession up to 2 ounces.

Reducing the penalty for tiny amounts of weed is not
decriminalization. It's a sensible maneuver that could help relieve
the overextended probation system and the crowded local and state
jails. It would keep some first-offenders from having their prospects
marred by a criminal record.

According to organizations advocating marijuana law reform, states
that reduced penalties for small marijuana possession realized lower
prosecution costs and smaller increases in marijuana use than states
that did not lessen penalties.

In the conservative, Republican-controlled Legislature, any bill
intended to lighten the punishment for a drug offense has about as
much chance of passing as a state income tax. But the Legislature
should consider this and other ways to divert drug users from prison
to treatment and recovery.