The hearing for HB 902 was held Wednesday, April 8th. This reporter was present to deliver testimony on behalf of the bill. At the conclusion of my testimony, I was asked a few questions. One of which was asked by Rep. Debbie Riddle, District 150, Houston, TX. She asked “What is ‘cannabis’?” As the committee snickered, I explained that cannabis is the clinical term for the substance she knew as ‘marijuana.’ She then stated that she had never heard the term before.
It is not entirely rare to encounter someone who is not familiar with the term, but I was surprised to have to explain the word to a State Representative. The men and women on this committee are responsible for making a decision that could potentially spare nearly 150,000 people from being jailed over the next few years.
If you live in district 150, you should contact your representative. She is not informed on the issues that concern you, yet she will be making a decision soon.
The next chance for this bill to be passed will be 2011. Do you want to wait that long? Contact the members of the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee and let them know how you stand on HB 902.
