AUSTIN – The Republican governor of Texas supporting less jail time for pot users? Gov. Rick Perry, a staunch conservative, riled the Lone Star state Thursday when he told an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that he supports the decriminalization – though not the legalization – of marijuana use. "As the governor of the second-largest state in the country, what I can do is start us on policies that can start us on the road towards decriminalization" by introducing alternative "drug courts" that offer treatment and softer penalties for minor offenses, Perry said during an international panel on drug legalization at the summit. Perry was speaking alongside former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. Perry emphasized that he is not for the legalization of marijuana but defended states' rights to make those choices. He said it's perfectly constitutional for states like Colorado to experiment with decriminalization and that Washington should stay out of those decisions. "I am a staunch promoter of the 10th Amendment," Perry said, according to U.S. News & World Report. States should be able to set their own policies on abortion, same-sex marriage and marijuana legalization, he said, "then people will decide where they want to live." Annan praised Perry for "beginning to roll that [criminalization of drugs] back in Texas." Back in Texas, those who worked with Perry on criminal issues were stunned at the public acknowledgement. "Shocked," said Ana Yañez-Correa, director of the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, a non-profit advocacy group that favors drug treatment over incarceration for marijuana possession. "The decriminalization of marijuana is not something Perry has historically supported." However, Perry has softened his stance on penalties for drug crimes over the years, Yañez-Correa said. He's worked with the group to create drug courts that specialize in drug offenders and cut back the amount of probation time required of offenders, she said. There are currently about 15,000 drug offenders in Texas correctional facilities. "Perry has gone through a shift; he's evolved," Yañez-Correa said. "He represents the transition the state has gone through from being really, really tough on crime to being more sensible about it." Still, his comments from Davos were the strongest she's ever heard from him. "It takes courage," she said. "There's a need for that." Less Jail time. Wow this kinda sounds just like what O'bummer just said with his mj comparison to alcohol.
Decriminalization means the government still thinks they have a right to apply penalties, fines, and decreased jail time. All politicians just need to GTFO of the public's personal choices.
How is that a start. He just said he belived mj users should recive less jail time and diversion programs. How about no jail time. That is a start. This is just another political ploy. Same exact shit O'bummer did earlier this week.
Your right in a way. No jail time would be amazing and the over all goal, but I would defiantly rather pay a fine and not have a record than spend time in jail, have a record, and potentially lose my job. Do you not think that's starting down the path we eventually want to go down? Now I'm just assuming you consume cannabis. When we don't currently have the power in our hands, we can't have the attitude of all or nothing.
Decriminalization is a HORRIBLE long term decision that's Hard really hard to get past . In my Opinion Decriminalization is 3 steps back . They want control and Decriminalization does that . I live in North Carolina . its been Decriminalized here for years now . Its a Joke .
[quote name="thebeaver50" post="19399454" timestamp="1390595357"]Decriminalization is a HORRIBLE long term decision that's Hard really hard to get past .In my Opinion Decriminalization is 3 steps back . They want control and Decriminalization does that .I live in North Carolina . its been Decriminalized here for years now . Its a Joke .[/quote]THANK YOU. I said this a while back on a thread and people called me an idiot. Glad to know someone else gets it. You can't hold no groove, if you ain't got no pocket.
I'm not from a Decriminalized state and not familiar with the polices that come along with it. What are, if any, the benefits of it being Decriminalize? Is there less of a penalty?
yes that's kinda it . every state that enacts a " Decriminalization" law for marijuana is completely different from my understanding . North Carolina Decriminalized a long time ago and we are all still hiding in the shadows hoping not to get caught . Im all for one small step at a time but decriminalizing marijuana has not fixed anything from the users stand point here . Most all my friends who smoke don't even know we have Decriminalized at all . What does it mean in the end ? it still means your a criminal , it still means your gonna pay a price financially , it still means probation or some kind of state gimmick rehab that you have to pay for . NO Thanks!
Oh ok, so every state is different. What it boils down to is, decriminalize or not your still committing a crime. I still would rather have lesser of the two evils. JMHO.
When three staunch prohibitch Republican governors suddenly do a 180 degree turn on anything you better check your wallet,,,they are following the ONDCP playbook,,they want to decriminalize marijuana,not legalize it because decriminalize doesn't necessarily mean not arresting you for it,,,if you can hire can attorney and pay court costs and rehab costs you are sent to rehab,,if you can hire an attorney and have medicare,,you get rehab,thanks to Obamacare,if you can't hire an attorney you get prison unless the prisons are full,,then the judge can dismiss the fees,the state pays the rehab and you get rehab until the judge gets a call telling him his court needs a dozen more convicts,,,they are building a pressure relief valve for their prisons,,they can allow them to thin out and quit getting in trouble with the federal prison board and reroute the usual prison chattel into rehab centers they own. These are the people we are fighting and tells us they do not plan on stopping setting up this evil machine.
Yep every state is different and you guys live in an ass backwards state. How can you call it decriminalized and still out you in jail. That fucking stupid. Come to a real state that has real decriminalize laws And you will see it's the way to go. Caught ( you have to me a moron) under an oz you keep your weed and get a 75 dollar fix it ticket. Not court no arrest. You will pay more than that in tax on a oz of legal weed. No thanks.
I am too busy trying to make Texas what it will be without prohibition,,heaven on earth. And decriminalization could be just lowering sentences from their present length of sentences,,anything that lessens punishment is considered decrim.
My heart is getting all warm and fuzzy in here. Thanks guys. Good to know some people come up for air in this world still.