Texas Police Are Behind the Times On Pot Issue
You wanna know something that both Democrats and Republicans support? Marijuana decriminalization. Think about that. Those two groups hardly agree on what time of day it is, but they generally agree on the decriminalization of pot.
This kind of political unity isn't enough for the Buford T. Justices of the world. Proving the Dunning-Kruger Effect to a T, the Texas Police Chiefs Association and Sheriffs Association of Texas has come out against the decriminalization of marijuana. The reasons given were that "if it's legalized people might believe it's less harmful" or that there might be an increase in driving while intoxicated.
Legalization in other states have shown these statements to be untrue and/or unproven. In fact, fewer kids are using pot in Colorado, and the number of people driving over the legal limit decreased. All of this stuff is easy to Google, and yes, it has not been a bed of roses, but for the most part, things have stayed relatively unchanged after legalization.
Now, let's back up. I was quoting you stats on legalization. This group is coming out against decriminalization. They don't want to give you a ticket for weed; they want to throw you in jail. So why? The best guess is that these towns profit from the drug war. I'll just leave it at that.
So to the police, I say, you are voted in and/or hired to do a job. If the people don't want other people thrown in jail for weed, go find some real crime to fight. Please remember that most of you got into your profession to HELP people. Focusing your efforts on weed is not helping.