History of marijuana in The Lone Star State goes back to 1915 when El Paso become the first U.S. city to outlaw cannabis after a man slaughtered a duty officer after consuming cannabis. By 1923, Texas became the only U.S. state where a cannabis conviction faced life behind bars.
The following passages will elaborate on the marijuana and CBD laws of Texas.
Marijuana in Texas
You are not allowed to play cowboy and the bandit while smoking marijuana in Texas. Possessing up to two ounces will make you a prisoner for 180 days with a $2,000 fine, while the penalty for carrying 2 – 4 ounces is 12-months imprisonment with a $4,000 fine. More critically, if intent to trafficking is established, an amount ranging 5 – 50 lbs will make you a felon for up to 20 years.
The legal ground-reality of Texas is a Legislative body that only meets every two years, which massively restricts avenues to improve the existing marijuana laws. The 2019 session began on the 8th day of the year and is expected to end with little to no change to the existing Texas marijuana laws.
Notwithstanding the above, in April 2019, state House of Representatives passed a favorable 98 to 43 vote to decriminalize possession of up to two ounces from jail time to a $500 fine.
Medical Marijuana
In 2018, Texas launched its first sales of medical cannabis (low-THC) in compliance with the Compassionate Use Program. While the program definitely helped some patients, it left many ineligible due to its extremely limited and flawed clauses. Only Texans with intractable epilepsy can participate, leaving behind a massive number of locals who suffer from other chronic conditions such as PTSD and cancer.
CBD Oil Laws in Texas
Texas was the 15th U.S. state to legitimize CBD oil. However, the bill signed by Gov. Abbott came with particular laws on the application of the crop and the conditions lawfully allowed to be treated with it. Specifically, the Texas Compassionate Use Act allows qualified individuals access to CBD oil containing at least 10% CBD and up to 0.5% THC from three dispensaries – one in Schulenburg and two in Austin.
In brief, this South Central state is still one of the harshest anti-marijuana U.S. states.
Conclusion
Possessing up to two ounces of weed in Texas will make you a prisoner for 180 days with a $2,000 fine, while the penalty for carrying 2 – 4 ounces is 12-months imprisonment with a $4,000 fine. However, in April 2019, state House passed a favorable vote to decriminalize possession of up to two ounces from jail time to a $500 fine. Moreover, the state runs an extremely restrictive marijuana program which only allows access to Texans with intractable epilepsy. Lastly, the Texas Compassionate Use Act allows qualified individuals access to CBD oil containing at least 10% CBD and up to 0.5% THC from three dispensaries – one in Schulenburg and two in Austin.
