this is interesting to say the least....

🟥Texas A&M University Police will no longer arrest people who are in possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana. Instead, the weed will be confiscated, then the case will be sent to the county attorney for review.

➡️DETAILS https://t.co/o0uHLN00J4 pic.twitter.com/sEkSd7il2r

— 🚨 Rusty Surette 🚨 (@KBTXRusty) August 17, 2023

Thank goodness! Take the power away from the police and put it back into the hands of a free people! It's ridiculous how many lives are ruined unnecessarily, by the law and the police, for just smoking cannabis. Soon it will be legal and I hope they call it the Willie Nelson Law, here in Texas! Let freedom ring again! Decriminalize cannabis!

There's way too many religious conservatives that will fight decriminalization. I'm personally for it, but there's a large block (including the current Governor and AG) that will fight it.

Here locally though? It will keep Aggie athletes out of the busted newspaper…

I have no issues with pot legalization, but we need more education on it. Pot is marketed as non-addictive and harmless. For a decent proportion of users it is very addictive and it can scramble brains. Plus, people aren't just smoking Willie Weed, the hybrids today are insane in the amount of THC. Plus people are using shatter, dabs and other concentrated forms that nature never intended.

This is good. I had a friend in college who got arrested by UPD for a single joint his freshman year. The way they spoke to him was disgusting. They told him that he was worthless and would never make it at A&M. That he should drop out and was a hopeless druggie. I wish I was exaggerating. This was almost 10 years ago now so a different world as far as the prevalence of pot, but I am glad to see this ruling. I think it will do exactly what it's intended to do and protect a lot of young and dumb students from making a mistake that will remain on their record. Hopefully it will prevent this kind of treatment from UPD over a little weed.

ETA: They were wrong, he graduated on time and is successful in his field.

I didn't realize prosecutors, who are sworn to uphold the law the same way Police are, were considered any more a "free people" within the law enforcement world than the Police out on the streets. If this decision was being turned over to a free people then it would have been voted on by the student body.

The Green Dragon said:

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I have no issues with pot legalization, but we need more education on it. Pot is marketed as non-addictive and harmless. For a decent proportion of users it is very addictive and it can scramble brains. Plus, people aren't just smoking Willie Weed, the hybrids today are insane in the amount of THC. Plus people are using shatter, dabs and other concentrated forms that nature never intended

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I would still argue it's a lot less harmful or addictive than alcohol, and makes a good alternative to it. The newer higher tech forms of consumption (like oils via vapes) are a lot less harmful than the "natural" way of burning the plant and inhaling the smoke.

A lung researcher I know in the medical center in Houston will tell you that you have no idea what guy are talking about.

Vaping brings all kinds of other issues. Talk to the folks at the ER and they will tell you they are seeing alot more hyperemesis (severe hard to control vomiting) from people vaping huge amounts. The problem with vapes is twofold. First is that people can be smoking really high strength stuff, and second there is no natural stopping point like you would have when your regular pot is burned up and gone. It is the same issue with vaping instead of smoking, they don't have a natural stopping point and end up taking in way more nicotine.

maroon barchetta said:

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A lung researcher I know in the medical center in Houston will tell you that you have no idea what guy are talking about.

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And thats why edibles should be the norm....

cslifer said:

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Vaping brings all kinds of other issues. Talk to the folks at the ER and they will tell you they are seeing alot more hyperemesis (severe hard to control vomiting) from people vaping huge amounts. The problem with vapes is twofold. First is that people can be smoking really high strength stuff, and second there is no natural stopping point like you would have when your regular pot is burned up and gone. It is the same issue with vaping instead of smoking, they don't have a natural stopping point and end up taking in way more nicotine.

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Same argument can be made with a handle of whiskey? Self control?

You eventually pass out hopefully before you finish the handle and get alcohol poisoning…

There should be no difference as to how laws are applied to local people. A local Brazos County prosecutor about 35-40 yrs ago was asked to attend a meeting in the Systems Bldg. He was surprised to be asked by an A&M official how he would prosecute an A&M student arrested for DWI on campus. The prosecutor answered, "The same way I would prosecute a poor person on the west side of Bryan."

If you want to change the law it should go through the legislative process. There shouldn't be decrees on what laws to enforce and which ones to ignore. Leftist do this to great detriment to their cities. People get to shoplift less than $700 (or whatever the amount) and not face prosecution. What's the difference? It's the same premise.

Legalize it but make public consumption a crime. Go places that are weed friendly and the they all stink like someone is running a skunk farm.

cslifer said:

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Vaping brings all kinds of other issues. Talk to the folks at the ER and they will tell you they are seeing alot more hyperemesis (severe hard to control vomiting) from people vaping huge amounts. The problem with vapes is twofold. First is that people can be smoking really high strength stuff, and second there is no natural stopping point like you would have when your regular pot is burned up and gone. It is the same issue with vaping instead of smoking, they don't have a natural stopping point and end up taking in way more nicotine.

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This sounds more like they are talking about nicotine vaping. Very different than occasional pot use vaping.

As far as a natural stopping point, this is about education and self discipline and should be handled like alcohol (DUI/PI).

Houston police quit arresting people for a small amount of pot a long time ago.

dubi said:

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Houston police quit arresting people for a small amount of pot a long time ago.

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Then it should be a county wide policy. Not just A&M campus. Equal justice under the law. Not favoring the A&M vs residents in west Bryan. Not just for the rich. Also for the poor. Not just for Democrats but also Republicans.

Bryanisbest said:

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dubi said:

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Houston police quit arresting people for a small amount of pot a long time ago.

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Then it should be a county wide policy. Not just A&M campus. Equal justice under the law. Not favoring the A&M vs residents in west Bryan. Not just for the rich. Also for the poor. Not just for Democrats but also Republicans.

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Take that up with the county judge. Campus cops don't have any justification for the entire county

They very much do. They can and will enforce any state law anywhere in any county that TAMU has property, which is all but a handful of counties in the state.

I think the Texas A&M system has a presence in all but 2 Texas counties.

dubi said:

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I think the Texas A&M system has a presence in all but 2 Texas counties.

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Used to be all but 10, but maybe they added some extension offices in some counties.

Houston Police didn't do anything. Harris County as a whole decided to decriminalize less than two ounces of marijuana. HPD didn't have anything to do with it other than follow the rules the DA Office set forth for the County as a whole.

BQ_90 said:

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Bryanisbest said:

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dubi said:

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Houston police quit arresting people for a small amount of pot a long time ago.

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Then it should be a county wide policy. Not just A&M campus. Equal justice under the law. Not favoring the A&M vs residents in west Bryan. Not just for the rich. Also for the poor. Not just for Democrats but also Republicans.

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Take that up with the county judge. Campus cops don't have any justification for the entire county

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No, but, unlike James Comey, prosecutors make those decisions. And if they see inequity in law enforcement they have the power to change it. The DA is the chief law enforcement officer for the whole county. I remember when crimes were being committed by A&M officials. For example A&M was providing alcohol and recording it as "soft drinks cups and ice." The chairman of the board was using an A&M airplane for personal trips. Brazos County DA prosecuted these crimes and showed A&M that they were not their own separate jurisdiction that could make their own laws. The campus is part of the state of Texas and must follow its laws.

The county judge has nothing to do with it. He/she is not part of "law enforcement."

Too bad the District Attorney didn't make this decisions nor does he prosecute misdemeanor offenses in this county. The lower level County Attorney made this decisions in conjunction with the Chief of Police for TAMU

Same DA that didn't want to prosecute an LEO that used a minor female to try and do a sting on a bartender at Northgate, and the details of the sting were different than what the LEO reported when he tried to ruin that bartender's life and drag the name of the bar thru the mud?

Or is that a different DA?

LEO
Law Enforcement Officer

Then whine to the DA, hopefully the rest of the county will follow A&M lead here

maroon barchetta said:

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Same DA that didn't want to prosecute an LEO that used a minor female to try and do a sting on a bartender at Northgate, and the details of the sting were different than what the LEO reported when he tried to ruin that bartender's life and drag the name of the bar thru the mud?

Or is that a different DA?

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I don't know if it's a different DA.

Gunner0740 said:

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Too bad the District Attorney didn't make this decisions nor does he prosecute misdemeanor offenses in this county. The lower level County Attorney made this decisions in conjunction with the Chief of Police for TAMU

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You can have bad county attorneys who play politics and cater to powerful entities within the county. A good prosecutor should prosecute an A&M student the same way he would a poor person on the the west side who is charged with the same crime. He is sworn to equal justice under the law. You can't treat the so called elites differently. The legislature makes and abolishes law. The prosecutor should enforce the law equally.

BQ_90 said:

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Then whine to the DA, hopefully the rest of the county will follow A&M lead here

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Yes, you could but this would amount to asking the DA not to enforce a law he is sworn to uphold. Only the legislature can change the law. A prosecutor cannot.

My response was in reference to you telling a story about a DA making a decision and enforcing law when they had nothing to do with this decision. You and I are on the same page, I'm just trying to clarify that this county has a DA and a CA. The former doesn't have anything to do with misdemeanor weed prosecutions.

Bryanisbest said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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Same DA that didn't want to prosecute an LEO that used a minor female to try and do a sting on a bartender at Northgate, and the details of the sting were different than what the LEO reported when he tried to ruin that bartender's life and drag the name of the bar thru the mud?

Or is that a different DA?

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I don't know if it's a different

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The first was Turner. The second one (TABC incident) was not him. I thought that was a county attorney decision. Maybe not.

oklaunion said:

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Bryanisbest said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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Same DA that didn't want to prosecute an LEO that used a minor female to try and do a sting on a bartender at Northgate, and the details of the sting were different than what the LEO reported when he tried to ruin that bartender's life and drag the name of the bar thru the mud?

Or is that a different DA?

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I don't know if it's a different

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The first was Turner. The second one (TABC incident) was not him. I thought that was a county attorney decision. Maybe not.

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Parsons?

I think Parsons succeeded Turner.