Should the Texas Legislature follow other states and legalize marijuana?

The Texas Senate voted to legalize oils containing a component from marijuana for treating epilepsy and other chronic medical conditions. A companion bill by Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, passed out of a House committee. Meanwhile, a House committee approved a measure that would legalize possession and delivery of marijuana in Texas, although the bill isn’t expected to make much more progress in the Legislature this year. It can take several legislative sessions for some measures to take hold and finally pass. Are these the small steps that eventually will lead to full medical use of marijuana products or even legalization in Texas? If so, how long will it take, and is it good or bad?

Legalize pot? HELL, NO! There are enough drunks on the highway already. Pot is also the first step to other drugs and provides money to drug lords for even more drugs. Why on earth would anyone want this?

— Tom Stamey, Fort Worth

Wouldn’t it be nice if for once Texas kept up with society? Marijuana is no different from alcohol except that it has many medicinal and industrial uses, and it’s not as harmful to the human body.

Can you imagine the money Texas could earn in taxes alone? I’m mystified as to why it isn’t legal.

— Jodie Wright-Tepfer, Bedford

Texans are finding themselves powerless to comfort a suffering or dying loved one who cannot be helped by current medical treatments. Meanwhile, they are denied the hope found from marijuana by the ignorant and apathetic.

How much longer will we stand by ignoring this discussion while in complete disbelief that the conflict over marijuana prohibition hasn’t ended?

How much longer can we justify something less harmful than either alcohol or tobacco as being criminal?

Today, the majority of adult Texan voters polled have begun to question the intentions of our government’s lagging support over changing marijuana policies in Texas.

Prohibition has proven to be a failure after decades of labeling generations of nonviolent marijuana users as criminals, breaking up families, destroying futures and developing drug gangs.

Decriminalizing frees up non-abusive research into disciplines of health and industrial applications for the possible benefits of marijuana

— Edd Guice, Mesquite

Alcohol and drug abuse today cause accidents, violence and even death, by suicide and murder. Legalization of marijuana is like adding fuel to the fire.

I do believe in its use for extreme medical problems, but medical marijuana should not be as easily obtainable as in California

— George J. Anthony, Fort Worth

Medical marijuana is undoubtedly helpful in chronic medical conditions. But it needs to be regulated the same way narcotics are regulated for hospitals.

A government-issued form should be filled out for each purchase and a record kept of its dispensing by doctors. If this isn’t done, the issuing of it will become too loose and abusive.

— Charles Hield, Arlington

I believe the full measure of medical cannabis will become a reality in Texas in the next five to 10 years.

It will be a long road, with many obstacles to overcome with the need to convince many uneducated citizens and politicians about the benefits of medical cannabis.

I personally suffer from chronic pain and arthritis, and the relief and safety that medical cannabis can provide, compared to pharmaceutical drugs, is over the top in comparison.

It is God’s all-natural medicine and should be used as such.

— Michael Thacker, Poolville

This would be good, but it may never happen in Texas. Full medical use and eventual legalization are a simple matter of common sense and far preferable to the current situation.

Unfortunately, the right-wing, lunatic fringe now in charge of our state government still seem to subscribe to the misguided and long-discredited reefer madness approach to dealing with marijuana.

While the opinion of most Texans is now in favor of common-sense solutions and mainstream acceptance of sane marijuana policies, our governor and legislators have already proven that they care little for the will of the majority.

Look no further than the response to citizen-initiated fracking bans for what one may expect from the politicians. Approval of medicinal CDB marijuana is likely the best we can hope for at this point.

— Jack Muller, Mansfield

This story was originally published May 15, 2015 at 7:33 PM with the headline "Should the Texas Legislature follow other states and legalize marijuana?."