AUSTIN, Texas – Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation earlier this year that would legalize marijuana nationwide. Decriminalizing marijuana would not only have a positive impact on the Texas economy, it would save taxpayers millions of dollars by ending prosecution of misdemeanor marijuana possession charges.  The latest data shows that nearly seventy-percent of Texans support legalization, it’s time we act. 

Today, Texas Democratic Party C0-Executive Director Jamarr Brown issued the following statement:

“Historically, we have treated marijuana as a criminal issue instead of one regarding public health and personal choice. As public support for legalization continues to grow, it’s time that we deliver for Texans.

“Every year, Texas Republicans spend millions of taxpayer dollars prosecuting low-level misdemeanor possession charges and robbing defendants of their livelihoods. 

“The continued criminalization of marijuana in Texas overwhelmingly negatively impacts communities of color by disproportionately targeting Black and Latino Texans. With nearly seventy-percent of Texans supporting the legalization of marijuana, it’s time that right this wrong by legalizing marijuana and expunging the records of Texans.

“The revenue generated by marijuana legalization could go towards improving our roads, paying teachers higher wages, improving our state health care systems, and much more. Legalization should not be a political issue but one about common-sense effective policy. Texas Democrats support legalization because it’s the smart thing to do.”

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