On Friday night, Michelle, a junior cinema-television major atSMU, smokes a joint with friends before she goes to a movie. Shesaid it is her way of relaxing without the negative effects ofalcohol.
“I still feel like myself when I smoke weed, and Idon’t have to worry about overdoing it like withalcohol,” Michelle said.
Under current Texas law, Michelle could face up to four monthsin jail and a fine of up to $2,000 if convicted of possession ofmarijuana. But this could all change if a group of Texaslegislators gets its way.
There has been a surge of marijuana legislation reform in thepast year with 20 states, including Texas, consideringdecriminalizing pot.
Eleven have already passed decriminalization laws, includingCalifornia, New York, Nevada and Oregon, according to the MarijuanaPolicy Project.
Students who use marijuana recreationally can agree with thedecisions of these states. Michelle said the government should takethe $10 billion each year used to fight marijuana to get realcriminals off the streets.
“When will we get our priorities straight?” shesaid.
Despite the support for decriminalization, there is little talkof outright legalization.
John Sanger in the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Center atSMU said marijuana is high-risk behavior and students shouldrealize they can get in a lot of trouble. But he also said somepenalties might be too harsh.
“I don’t think people need to be thrown in prisonfor life,” Sanger said.
Those people could include many SMU students. Marijuana is themost commonly used illegal drug on campus. According to a 2001survey, 51.2 percent of students said they had tried marijuana atsome point, and 41.7 percent of students surveyed had used it inthe past year.
Given these statistics, it is clear that both the positive andnegative effects of decriminalization would have a large impact onTexas and SMU.
Under the proposed bill, instead of incarceration, Texas wouldallot money for the rehabilitation of addicts. This means studentswho get busted could get a ticket to rehab.
Through treatment, users can determine how the drug has affectedtheir lives and take steps to correct it.
“Most people who get in a bad relationship with a drugwill never get back in a good relationship again,” Sangersaid.
In addition, decriminalization could offer financial benefits.Facing a $10 billion budget crisis, Texas has taken notice of thesavings that have come to other states that have implementeddecriminalization. California has saved $100 million annually sinceits law was enacted, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
On the other hand, the bill could create problems at the countylevel. Currently, most offenders with over an ounce are chargedwith a felony and are handled by state courts. Decriminalizationcould mean that those possessing over an ounce may still face jailtime even though it is a misdemeanor. In this case, money to houseinmates would come from the county.
The proposed bill, House Bill 715, was sponsored by of Rep.Harold Dutton. It would have made less than an ounce of marijuana aClass C misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $500 and no jailtime.
However, the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence receivedthe bill, but never sent it to the full House forconsideration.