Get The Latest On Weed Reform: Teamsters Back Cannabis Banking, TX Bill To Reduce Weed Penalties Approved & More

Texas Lawmakers Weigh In On Reducing Marijuana Penalties

Texas House members passed a measure that would reduce penalties for possession of cannabis and cannabis concentrates last month, reported Austin Chronicle.

House Bill 218 from Rep. Joe Moody (D) would also instruct officers to stop arresting people for personal amounts and related drug paraphernalia while providing a framework for expunging past charges. However, the bill doesn't make it legal to possess a small amount of recreational cannabis.

"Under House Bill 218, possessing a small amount of cannabis is still illegal," Moody said on the House floor before final passage. "We're just addressing it in a smarter way than we do now."

A separate measure from Rep. Moody, House Bill 3652 that seeks to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana passed the chamber in April. That bill still requires a second reading, which is a formality, before heading to the Senate for further consideration.

Teamsters Back Cannabis Banking Reform

The Teamsters, which has been unionizing new members of the cannabis industry for years, endorsed the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which got a hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking on Thursday.

The bipartisan legislation seeks to protect marijuana workers and improve public safety by allowing legal cannabis businesses access to banking services, the organization said.

"These workers deserve a safe workplace that provides meaningful wages, health care, and access to retirement security," Teamsters' general president Sean M. O'Brien said. "The SAFE Banking Act will allow these workers to engage in a meaningful partnership with their employer by removing archaic and non-sensical regulations that the industry is currently subjected to."

Wisconsin Sen. Agard Tireless In Cannabis Advocacy

State Sen. Melissa Agard called Wisconsin an "island of prohibition" on Wednesday as she took her "Grass Routes" tour to Wauwatosa seeking support for her cannabis legalization bill.

"Prohibition of cannabis in Wisconsin is preventing economic stimulus, it's preventing increased safety and security, and it's infringing on people's liberties," Agard told CBS 58. "We are losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue and billions of dollars of economic stimulus because we are not engaging in the conversation."

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who earlier said that a group of lawmakers – which includes only Assembly Republicans - is working on a new push, remained silent on Agard's latest legalization efforts. As earlier announced, he plans to introduce the medical cannabis measure this fall but remains firmly against legalizing recreational cannabis.

Photo: Courtesy of Roberto Valdivia on Unsplash