According to a new Dallas Morning News-University of Texas at Tyler poll, most Texans support adult-use marijuana legalization. According to MSN, 55% of polled people support or strongly support legalization. What about medical cannabis? You guessed it, support is even stronger, with 72% of those polled saying they support or highly support legalizing the plant for medicinal purposes. Wait, didn't Texas already legalize medicinal cannabis use?
Current Cannabis Laws In Texas
While medical cannabis is permitted in the state, it is highly regulated. Only people with cancer, autism, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or multiple sclerosis can use medical marijuana. Furthermore, in 2021, the state registry had 7,000 MMJ patients but only 348 doctors who could prescribe medical cannabis. Texas authorized medicinal marijuana for the first time seven years ago with the Compassionate Utilize Act, which permitted patients with intractable epilepsy to obtain and use cannabis oil containing less than 0.5% THC. Since then, the program has been spread to include more qualifying diseases, including using 1% THC in MMJ products.
Despite earlier polls yielding comparable results, Governor Greg Abbott's opinion has not changed significantly. Abbott agreed in January to decrease the criminal punishment for marijuana possession to a Class C misdemeanor but not to legalize it. Possession of around 2 ounces of marijuana is still considered a Class B misdemeanor in Texas, which is punishable by up to 180 days in prison and a $2,000 fine. More than 2 ounces will land you in prison for up to a year, and more than 4 ounces is a crime.
Recent Poll Key Takeaways
The poll was done between August 1 and 7, using a statewide random sample of 1,384 registered voters. Regarding cross-party support for recreational cannabis legalization, Democrats lead the way, with 38% strongly supporting it and 27% supporting it, compared to 26% and 17% of Republicans, respectively. According to the poll, 12% of Democrats and 32% of Republicans oppose the legalization of recreational cannabis use.
"If they legalized it, you're going to have a dispensary on every corner in our town, and that's not something I look forward to seeing every day," Republican Edwin Kirby of Tyler said. "With the drug problems we have now among young children, that's simply going to add fuel to the fire."
On the other side, Laurie Richardson, a Democrat from Frisco who answered the Morning News-UT-Tyler poll, believes marijuana has medical value. Even though she has never used cannabis, she understands that prohibition does not work.
"We attempted to outlaw alcohol, and then you have all these individuals attempting to make their booze and people getting alcohol poisoning," Richardson explained. "I just don't think you'll be able to prevent people from getting it if they want it." I believe it should be treated similarly to alcohol."
When it comes to medical marijuana, the distinction is not as stark. In comparison, 49% of Democrats and 35% of Republicans strongly support legalization, while 8% of Democrats and 13% of Republicans oppose it.
Featured Image: Megapixl @6vlad4
