A Texas Conservatives MJ Bill Holy Cow

Discussion in 'Marijuana News' started by Storm Crow, Mar 4, 2015.

  1. #1 Storm Crow, Mar 4, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 4, 2015
    Texas Republican Mounts Pro-Marijuana Campaign, Bible in Hand
    http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-03-04/texas-republican-mounts-pro-marijuana-campaign-bible-in-hand?cmpid=yhoo
     
    Did God give us marijuana for a reason?
     
    It sounds like a stoner question, but a conservative Christian lawmaker in Texas is arguing that since God made cannabis, the government should regulate it like any other plant.
     
    State Representative David Simpson of Longview introduced a bill Monday that would remove any mention of marijuana from Texas law, and set the plant to be regulated like tea or tomatoes. If Simpson's bill passed, it would place sales and property taxes on buyers and growers, respectively, but it wouldn't be marked up with a so-called sin tax.
     
    “The plant is good. God made it, and it wasn't a mistake that government needs to fix.”
    State Representative David Simpson
     
    “I usually don't use my Christian convictions so publicly,” Simpson said during a phone interview Wednesday. But after seeing some of his fellow Christians suffer under current pot laws, particularly laws banning medical marijuana, he said he felt the need to be more vocal. “We need to love not only our liberties, but the liberties of our neighbor.”
     
    For Simpson, the biblical case (which he also outlined in a Texas Tribune op-ed) boils down to two arguments: first, that all of God's creations are good. â€œWhat's so incredible to me is that we want to eliminate something that God made,” Simpson said. “It's very specific in Genesis 1. He talks about the green herb, he talks about plant, he talks about their seed, and it says it was good, it was very good.”
     
    Second, he said, the government's role should be to punish people who are doing wrong. Marijuana users, especially medical-marijuana users, aren't hurting people. He cited Proverbs 3:30, which reads, “Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm,” and verses from Romans 13 that say the role of the civil magistrate is to punish wrongdoers. He argued that people should be free to use cannabis for its positive medicinal and commercial purposes, like treating seizures, assisting cancer patients, or creating rope and paper.
     
    Simpson also makes the traditional limited-government arguments against cannabis criminalization. Americans should have the freedom to choose how to use marijuana, and if a person chooses to use the drug irresponsibly, the solution “is not to prosecute them and separate them from their family, but to lovingly engage them and be their friend,” he said.
     
    One problem Simpson's bill might face is its failure to address regulatory questions. One concern leading up to the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington, for example, was the risk of “diversion,” in which cheap, legal pot spreads into other states where it's still illegal.
     
    Another issue is his fellow lawmakers. Simpson said that 90 percent of his constituents support the idea, but his colleagues are cautious. (Drug-policy expert Gary Hale put it more bluntly to the Houston Chronicle: “A blanket decriminalization of marijuana and classification as a vegetable is not going to happen.”)
     
    “I think what's standing behind some of the hesitancy is fear, and it does take a little living by faith at this point in time, but it's the right thing to do,” Simpson said. “The plant is good. God made it, and it wasn't a mistake that government needs to fix.”
     
    **************
     
     
    To send Rep. David Simpson a good old-fashioned "Thank you" letter, go to http://davidsimpson.com/contact/ 
     
    One mind at a time, kids, that's how we win! Even southern conservatives are beginning to see the light! :smoke:
     
     
    Granny

     
  2. Its a bold move, no doubt. Going from illegal to unregulated is kinda a huge jump seeing as we get put in jail for grams alone down here. A lot of Texans want this to happen though, and our good ol' red state has been turning blue-r by the year. 2014 and 2015 have been exciting for the cannabis community, with senators coming forth with a multitude of bills.

    While I feel this particular bill needs some more fine tuning to pass as law, the spirit and motivation behind it is phenominal! You were all counting Texas out on legalization as last, but by the sound of it we may be able to shoot much further ahead than what most of the southern states have!

    Even if this passes or fails I'm very interested in where this will lead and I'll definitely be following this story, thank you for sharing with all of us!
     
  3. Good man. And a good bill. It will never make it out of committee unfortunately.
     
  4. #4 Storm Crow, Mar 5, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 6, 2015
    Each attempt gets us closer to the goal! One or two minds get changed every time a bill like this is introduced.
     
    "Perseverance furthers!"
     
     
    Granny
     
  5. I'm really glad to see this. Hopefully more people from his area open their minds as a result of this. Just like Granny said, One mind at a time!
     
  6. the dude is pushing natural law- gotta love it. God put the plant here to pop up over and over on the planet surface, enough said
     
  7. Any change in Texas marijuana laws is better than what it is now. Hash and concentrates aren't even considered marijuana, any detectable amount of it up to a gram is a mandatory minimum sentence of six months in jail! Over a gram, two years! Simpson claimed that 90% of colleagues support him on this, but I'm not busting out the papers yet.
    Regardless of if it passes, or gets lost in graveyard committees, or even vetoed (if it gets that far), the point is that he's starting the conversation in a state that was as tight lipped as it gets when it comes to marijuana. Some of the strictest laws in the country, no medical program, but all that could change in September. I'm more confident HB 507 will pass, decriminalizing up to an ounce, but don't be surprised if the rest of Texas government backs up Simpson in what's basically giving Obama and the federal government the finger, because what's more Texan than that?
     
  8. Right? People who don't live in Texas are always saying how conservative we are, and that may be true to a point but if you go to the big cities like Austin, Houston, or even San Antonio, you'll see the growing liberal trend with the younger community. Hell, even a lot of older folks I know are seeing the benefits of cannabis now!

    One interesting future problem I'm seeing how us Texans love our guns. Currently, cannabis and guns don't mix. If Texas were to legalize it, I'm curious to see what direction they'd take on having guns and weed/plants in the house
     
  9. The first robbery/break in that ends with someone dead with marijuana in the house will end badly..
     
  10. That'd be unfortunate for all of us. I'm not real sure but my buddy was telling me someone is trying to develop a new way to drug test to determine if someone was high during an incident, instead of finding cannabis in your system. I've yet to look it up but if that's legit, then that could theoretically solve a lot of issues regarding smoking
     
  11. It won't ever make it into production... Weed has too long lasting chemicals in your body for this to be proven effective
     
  12. awesome viewpoint, even if i don't necessarily believe all the god stuff. Glad to see someone with some common sense
     
  13. I don't care if God gave it to us or Buddah or some guy named Joe. It should be legal.
     
  14. Joyetech, the metabolites of THC remain in the body for weeks, but THC, itself, does not! it is changed by the liver into THCCOOH (11-nor-9-carboxy-THC)! There are lab tests that can discriminate between THC and its metabolites, but it is prohibitively expensive and rarely used outside of laboratory settings. However new tests are being developed that may be cheaper to use.
     
  15. 11th verse of the bible I believe reads
    God made green seed bearing plants blessed for our use
     
  16. It's true, as the older conservative population dies off, the younger more liberal generation slowly takes their place. And with them, their views and feelings of repression. Don't really care about the god angle, I think it makes a poor argument, and I'm just glad it's being teased. Maybe people will talk about it and good/honest info on mj might reach them. 
     
  17. #17 Storm Crow, Apr 9, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 9, 2015
    What is sad is that it is the oldsters who can benefit the most from cannabis! You kids just enjoy cannabis for the high, but senior citizens need it for pain and other ailments!
     
    You guys have to start educating everyone! Everyone over 50 has a niggling little fear (or sometimes a huge fear [​IMG] ) of Alzheimer's! What happens when they learn that THC works much better than Aricept?
     
    “THC blocks an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which speeds the formation of amyloid plaque in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's drugs Aricept and Cognex work by blocking acetylcholinesterase. When tested at double the concentration of THC, Aricept blocked plaque formation only 22% as well as THC, and Cognex blocked plaque formation only 7% as well as THC.”  
     
    Marijuana May Slow Alzheimer's      (news - 2006)   http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20061006/marijuana-may-slow-alzheimers
     
    That article is based on the study-
     
    A Molecular Link between the Active Component of Marijuana and Alzheimer's Disease Pathology      (full - 2006)        http://www.ukcia.org/research/AlzheimersDiseasePathology.pdf
     
    where  â€œTHC and its analogues may provide an improved therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease, augmenting acetylcholine levels by preventing neurotransmitter degradation and reducing A‚ aggregation, thereby simultaneously treating both the symptoms and progression of Alzheimer's disease.” (emphasis mine)
     
    Now, when a molecule of THC hits a CB1 (cannabinoid receptor type 1) receptor in your brain, it gets you high! [​IMG]  But THC is a "switch-hitter", it can also activate the "no high"  CB2 receptors, and that's where the "fun" really begins! Look what happens when the CB2s get going-  (FYI-   macrophages are your “clean up crew” cells.)
     
    The activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors stimulates in situ and in vitro beta-amyloid removal by human macrophages.    (abst - 2009)  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19505450?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=18
     
    So when the brain's CB2 receptors are activated, the macrophages are told to "take out the trash" and the amyloid plaque is removed from your brain! [​IMG]
     
    But the CB2s don't stop there! Once the amyloid "trash" is gone, healing can begin and "closer to normal" brain functions and memory can be observed. 
     
     Activation of the CB(2) receptor system reverses amyloid-induced memory deficiency.    (abst – 2013)         http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22795792
     
    And for the "Tau-ists"-
     
    Natural Cannabinoids Improve Dopamine Neurotransmission and Tau and Amyloid Pathology in a Mouse Model of Tauopathy.          (full – 2013)        http://iospress.metapress.com/content/4j61942x88175321/fulltext.html
     
    And all that brings up the question, "Are cannabis users immune to Alzheimer's?"!  Fact is, nobody knows[​IMG] , because you can't freely study cannabis in the US because of prohibition! [​IMG]
     
    Now that's just ONE condition that cannabis helps! (Admittedly, I "spoon-fed" it to you.) Now imagine having a resource with studies and articles on what CBD does in diabetes and triple negative breast cancer, on how THC and CBD fight lung cancer, about how RSO extract is "an effective treatment" for leukemia, and much, much more!
     
    It's yours, free, no strings attached! I will send you over 2000 pages of links like those above. No, that is not a misprint, my List is over  2000 pages of links! [​IMG]  To get your copy, just send me an email - stormcrow(a in a circle)greenpassion.org (the app doesn't show sigs). Or you can use the PM service and send me your email. Either way, I usually get a copy off to you within 24 hours.
     
    If you are going to educate folks, it really helps to be able to back yourself up with a few PubMed studies!
     
     
    Granny
     
  18. And more good news for Texas-
     
    Lawmakers consider bill that takes away jail time for small amount of pot  
    http://abc13.com/politics/lawmakers-consider-bill-that-takes-away-jail-time-for-small-amount-of-pot/642443/
     
    [​IMG]

    By Kaitlin McCulley
    \tUpdated 27 mins ago
    AUSTIN, TX (KTRK) --
     
    Texas lawmakers are considering a bill that would take away the threat of jail time and a criminal record for people caught with a small amount of marijuana.

    Patrona Carr, 25, is one of thousands of people in Harris County charged with marijuana possession each year. She went to the courthouse Wednesday to pay almost $800.

    "I got two kids. It's ridiculous," Carr said, "I only had - it was only like maybe a sweet or two, and I'm paying all this money for nothing."

    According to court records, Carr had less than two ounces of marijuana in her possession when she was arrested.

    "I had to take off work. I work seven days a week," Carr said. "I come up here, I've been up here about six months back and forth with a lawyer."

    Carr will still have a criminal drug charge on her record.

    Representative Joe Moody (D-El Paso) wants to change that by giving offenders a civil fine of $100 dollars and sending them on their way.

    Joseph Gamaldi with the Houston Police Officers' Union does not think the bill is necessary because of a pilot program already in place in Harris County.
     
    "Marijuana can sometimes be a gateway drug, and we do take it seriously when anybody's using illegal narcotics," Gamaldi said, "But we believe the DA's office has made a first step in keeping minor marijuana offenses from clogging up the criminal system."

    Under the DA's experimental program, marijuana offenders are fingerprinted and screened for past offenses. If the offender has a clean record, that person can do community service instead of going to jail. Since October 2014, more than 1,100 people have participated.

    Carr did not qualify for the program because she was arrested for theft eight years ago.

    "I was young," Carr said, "I was seventeen at the time."

    She hopes Texas joins 20 other states in developing more lenient marijuana laws.
     
     
     
     
    Not great, but paying $100 is way better than jail and a record!
     
     
    Granny
     
  19. Granny always posts the best knowledge! good read! 
     
  20. I would like to see this in Texas.  The summers are long and hot and Da Herb helps. 
     

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