In the independent student newspaper of Sam Houston State University, The Houstonian, the debate over whether marijuana should be legalized generally centers around why and how it should be done.
But Texas remains one of the strictest states in the country in laws against possession, manufacturing and distribution of drugs. California law may be considerably more relaxed about the possession of marijuana these days, but in Texas, there are severe consequences.
Especially for students.
Arguments for an End to Prohibition
The arguments made in The Houstonian to end what is increasingly being called 'marijuana prohibition'--borrowing from last century's 'alcohol prohibition'--include:
- Drugs like alcohol and tobacco are more harmful than marijuana
- Drug dealers specifically market to children; marijuana legalization would require some form of identification for purchase
- The billions spent by the government in fighting the War on Drugs could be better used elsewhere, like education and healthcare
- Quality control measures would come with legalization; drug manufacturers could not lace marijuana with harmful additives, like potent narcotics or pesticides
- Mexican cartel violence would decrease
- Evidence supports the assertion that marijuana is not a gateway drug
- In the wake of the Great Recession, the hefty market for marijuana in the U.S. would help rejuvenate the economy
In spite of these arguments for the legalization of marijuana, the fact remains that marijuana is not legal in Texas. But we feel that the penalties do not necessarily fit the crime, and we'll do what we can to help keep you out of jail and your criminal record clean.
College is not the time or place to unwittingly hamper your post-graduate prospects and opportunities, especially when marijuana possession in Texas is taken so seriously.
Source: http://www.houstonianonline.com/mobile/campus-news/pot-reform-not-half-baked-1.2362459
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