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Texas Now Prosecuting TWO Medical Marijuana Patients [FEATURE]

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #645)
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Asthmatic medical marijuana patient Chris Diaz sits in jail in Brownwood, Texas, facing up to life in prison for a half ounce of marijuana and three grams of hash. Quadraplegic medical marijuana patient Chris Cain may be joining Diaz behind bars in Beaumont, Texas, after he goes to trial next week. When it comes to medical marijuana, Texas isn't California (or even Rhode Island), and don't you forget it, boy!

seat of injustice
Chris Diaz is learning that the hard way. He was supposedly pulled over for an expired license tag (his defenders say the tag was not expired) while en route from Amarillo to Austin, and according to the DPS trooper's report, would not produce a drivers' license or proof of insurance. He was then arrested for failure to identify, and during a subsequent search, police found a small amount of hashish on his person. A search of the vehicle then turned up additional hash and marijuana in a pill bottle from a California medical marijuana provider. Now, Diaz is facing up to life in prison after being indicted by a Brown County grand jury. He is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a first-degree felony in the Lone Star State.

Under Texas law, possession of less than two ounces of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail, while possession of hashish is either a state jail felony punishable by up to two years for less than a gram, or a second-class felony punishable by up to 20 years if less than four grams, although probation is also possible.

But because police allegedly read a text message on Diaz's seized cell phone advising a friend that he had some great hash and asking if he wanted any, he was instead indicted on the trafficking charge, punishable by up to life in prison. He remains behind bars -- without his medicine -- on a $40,000 cash bond.

Diaz was diagnosed with asthma just before he turned three, his mother, Rhonda Martin said. "He was on medications ever since. He used a nebulizer, all kinds of inhalers, Albuteral, Advair. He stopped taking them when he was 14 because he didn't like the effects," she recalled. "He said the steroids made him feel agitated and wouldn't take those chemical medications anymore."

While the family was aware of medical marijuana, it was only when Diaz fell ill during a family vacation in California and was hospitalized in intensive care that they first learned about medical marijuana for the treatment of asthma. "We were put in touch with a doctor there, and he recommended it. It was his recommendation Chris was carrying," said Martin.

Neither Brown County prosecutors nor Diaz's court-appointed public defender had responded to Chronicle requests for comment by press time.

Diaz and some of his strongest supporters, including his mother, consider themselves "sovereign citizens," and have a web site, I Am Sovereign, in which they argue their case and attempt to win support for Diaz. But that set of beliefs, which precludes carrying government-issued identification, is also complicating things for Diaz. "Failure to identify" was the first charge he faced, and he was searched and the cannabis was found subsequent to being charged with that. Similarly, the authorities' lack of any records or ID for Diaz played a role in the setting of the high bail.

He's not having an easy time of it in jail, said Martin. "He is not receiving any medical attention. He eats only organic food, but he's not getting that. He was assaulted last Sunday by a jailer when he asked for medication. The jailer got in his face and started screaming and pushing him. Chris didn't react. He is a peaceful man."

"The reality is that this kid is in jail for having medical marijuana and is looking at life in prison," said Stephen Betzen, director of the Texas Coalition for Compassionate Care, which is lobbying for a medical marijuana bill next year in the state legislature. "You've got to be kidding me. You don't give drug addicts life in prison, so why would you do that to a patient with a legitimate recommendation from another state?"

Chris Cain
Betzen also had real issues with Diaz being stopped in the first place. "The fact of the matter is that Chris was driving home to Austin with legal plates," he said. "The cops lied and said they were expired. Not only did they lie to pull him over, they took a kid with no record and charged him with a life sentence offense for three grams of hash. The people who are perpetrating this need to be brought to justice and their victims need to be released from jail," said Betzen. "You can't just pull people over because they're brown or from California and begin to search them. There's a whole amendment about that."

"I'm surprised somebody is facing a life sentence for basically half an ounce," said Kris Hermes, spokesman for the medical marijuana support group Americans for Safe Access. "But in states that don't have medical marijuana laws, authorities are free to arrest and prosecute regardless of whether it is being used medicinally."

Meanwhile, over in Hardin County in East Texas, Chris Cain, 39, will be rolling his wheelchair to court next week, where the quadriplegic faces a jail sentence for possessing less than two ounces of medical marijuana. Cain, who was paralyzed in a diving accident as a teenager, has been an outspoken medical marijuana advocate for a decade.

He was arrested in 2005 when the Hardin County Sheriff's Office raided his home with the assistance of two helicopters, seized three joints, and threw him in jail. He wound up on probation, but could not use his medicine.

"Within six weeks, the spasticity was so bad he was developing bed sores," said Betzen, so he started using again. "The cops would come by every two weeks to see if he was healthy enough to go to jail."

Now, he faces trial again for possession. "They actually want to put him in jail," exclaimed Betzen. "The sheriff there really has a vendetta against him."

While Texas certainly needs to enter the 21st Century when it comes to medical marijuana, the problem is larger than the Lone Star State, said Hermes. "It's critical that we develop a federal medical marijuana law so that people are not treated differently in Texas than in California, and patients who need this medicine in Texas should be allowed to use it with fear of arrest and prosecution. Americans for Safe Access is committed not only to encouraging states to pass medical marijuana laws irrespective of federal policy, but also to push the federal government to develop a policy that will treat patients equitably no matter where in the US they live."

News Feature
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Comments

Ty Palmer (not verified)

Votes happen in houses of government when enough people express outrage.  Politicians know which way the wind is blowing, and given half a chance they may just move in our direction.  We must give them the political opportunity to end punitive prohibition.  How many patients in wheelchairs will be locked up for their choice of doctor recommended medication before the people demand a halt to the march of the drug war lunacy?  Please keep in mind that a small handful of Federal Medical Marijuana Patients receive Federal Cannabis for medication in the form of canisters of pre-rolled marijuana joints.  Irv Rosenfeld, a financial professional who lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, is one such Federal Medical Marijuana Patient.  Irv smokes joints all day long to relieve the pressure of tumors which cover his body.  Without marijuana, Irv Rosenfeld cannot work.  With cannabis medicine, Irv is able to lead a productive professional life while keeping his illness in check.  How on earth can Texas be so wrong in light of a patient like Irv Rosenfeld.  Laws which are supposedly designed to protect human beings are sending men in wheelchairs to prison for ingesting cannabis medicine.  That same cannabis medicine which lands one man in prison in Texas is provided by the U.S. Federal Government to another man in Florida in order to keep him healthy and working productively while paying his taxes.  Hey America, had enough nonsense yet?  How many spoonfuls are required before you're full?   

Thu, 08/19/2010 - 5:12am Permalink
Mr.GoodTimes (not verified)

I live in Texas and this story is absolutely appalling!

 

Way to use my tax dollars for a good purpose guys.... I don"t see any crime in what he did and damn sure doesn't deserve life in prison.

 

It's really sad this kind of stuff is still happening.

 

Way to go Texas

Thu, 08/19/2010 - 12:53pm Permalink
Unbelievable (not verified)

This is unbelievable. I dont care i this guy had a car full of marijuana... life in prison? Wow.... I guess I'll go out and kill and rape that chick that has been ignoring me. Good thing I don't smoke pot because I would go to jail a whole lot longer for that.....

Mon, 08/23/2010 - 3:30pm Permalink
Dave Wilkinson (not verified)

To think! I actually visited Austin voluntarily back in the previous century. Spent a few days, played some open mics, ate ribs. Now I can see how lucky I am to be sitting here in Maine instead of still rotting (if I had survived) in a filthy, hot Texas prison. Truly lucky. These stories give us all a new appreciation of the terror, the jeopardy, the tyranny that hangs over every Texan and millions of Americans.

Love and peace,

Dave

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452875855

Thu, 08/19/2010 - 1:34pm Permalink
Anonymous420 (not verified)

All I can say Myself, being born and lived in Texas my whole life. I can tell you....TDC, and indeed the whole damn state is out to get us potheads!....They will arrest all of us and lock us up!, throw away the key, then go play horse-shoes!

They will build an entire fucking wall around the state of Texas before tolerating or decriminalizing any, drug use..

My advice is, be smarter than the average Joe!,or stay out of Texas!,your choice

Thu, 08/19/2010 - 5:38pm Permalink
LindaSpeaks (not verified)

Texas used to be a state that stood up for individual liberties, but apparently those days are gone. A directive from the president ordering Michele Leonhart to reschedule marijuana so that it can be prescribed nationwide would go a long way in restoring our respect. I will never understand why anyone would want to withhold any medicine from the chronically and terminally ill, and polls show 75% of Americans agree with me. Congress needs to wake up and get on board.
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 7:47pm Permalink
McD (not verified)

"I will never understand why anyone would want to withhold any medicine from the chronically and terminally ill..."

Really?! You surprise me. I would have thought it's fairly obvious. Follow the money.

Wed, 08/25/2010 - 6:29am Permalink
Catrina Staton (not verified)

Oregon is a medical cannabis state, but I think the only reason that they made it legal for medical patients is so the cops would have easier targets. It is much easier to go after people who are ill or have disabilities, than it is to catch the real criminals. I see it in the newspapers almost every day. "LAW ENFORCEMENT BUSTS LARGE MEDICAL MARIJUANA GROW..." or some crap like that. Even if Texas did legalize it for medical purposes, they would just use that as another excuse to pick on cannabis users. This will not end until the war on drugs is stopped. Government=0 People=0 Everyone loses in this war. Even the people who do not use any kind of drugs at all, because they have to pay for this war as well. Come on people. Stand up for your rights! It's going to take all of us to make the government stop this nonsense. I am taking a stand, and I will not budge, until this wrong is made right, or I die trying. Peace out.

Thu, 08/19/2010 - 11:52pm Permalink
undrgrndgirl (not verified)

i'm not sure that defending chris diaz is really a good idea...from what i can gather about the case (admittedly only from news reports) it sounds like he broke california medical cannabis law by fraudulently obtaining a medical card and then used that card to obtain cannabis for illegal distribution (illegal distribution even under california medical cannabis laws)...i don't think it does the movement any good to defend people who have broken laws *we* have imposed upon ourselves...while i agree the sentence he faces is cruel and unusual, i still think there are other, possibly more serious, things about his case that need to be considered...

Fri, 08/20/2010 - 2:47pm Permalink
undrgrndgirl (not verified)

diaz alleges he got a recommendation while ON VACATION in california; if it is true it means the recommending physician ALSO broke california state medical cannabis laws...(for those of you who don't know, california medical cannabis users must be state residents AND show valid state identification to obtain a recommendation...)
 

Fri, 08/20/2010 - 2:52pm Permalink
borden (not verified)

You are mistaken, undrgrndgirl. Doctors can recommend cannabis to patients, period. It is speech protected by the 1st amendment, decided for all the nation by the Supreme Court in the Conant case. What a state's medical marijuana law says, or whether there is a state law at all, is irrelevant to this.

Whether Chris as an out-of-stater would have the medical necessity defense available to him as an out-of-stater, had he been arrested and prosecuted in California, is a question that can be asked, though he wasn't arrested in California. Whether he was entitled to make use of a California dispensary as an out-of-stater is another question that can be asked. But I don't think any of that changes the impact of the main facts of the situation -- he's a patient who had a recommendation from a doctor.

If facts came out to indicate that Chris was a bona fide drug dealer, and was making use of California's law to facilitate his being able to do that, this could affect his credibility as an example of the injustice of Texas not having a medical marijuana law. But telling a friend that he has some hash and asking if his friend wants some reflects too low of a quantity to be anything worse than a minor error in judgment. So I still see him as a pretty sympathetic figure, and not as someone who manipulated the medical marijuana system.

Fri, 08/20/2010 - 5:51pm Permalink
Bam (not verified)

Well, good to see you're still around, Dave!

I made the mistake of making a few comments to whoever is responding to Iam Sovereign on Facebook, and was then called a series of dreadful names I won't repeat here. I was forbidden to ever visit the page again, and this was because I asked a few questions, after reading the entire arrest report, etc., that they had put up.

I still maintain that if a cop asks you your name, it's best to just give it. They're gonna find out sooner or later.

And I also think this kid is being used as a pawn in someone else's game: there's something that's just not quite right about the whole thing. And if he lives in Texas, you'd think he'd know better than to drive without a license, without ANY i.d.; you'd think he'd have the brains enough to delete any conversations/phone numbers regarding "having some great stuff", just in case.

Like I said, my heart goes out to him, NO ONE should be held in jail over this petty stuff ever, but pull back the curtain. Something isn't quite right.

Sat, 08/21/2010 - 9:31pm Permalink
American (not verified)

It is not a law we have imposed upon ourselves! It is victimless laws that have been imposed upon us by government! They have made a plant illegal. And created a market for criminals, just like alcohol prohibition and Al Capone.  

Sat, 09/01/2012 - 1:07pm Permalink
Grandma Fox in TEXAS (not verified)

This young man needs to be out of jail. Governor Rick Perry needs to get involved and release him. He is not a criminal. It's Texas Laws that make him a criminal because Texas laws need to be changed. They are old, out of date and Marijuana should be LEGAL in TEXAS and EVERYWHERE ELSE,

Now lets talk about Brownwood.... illegal search and seizure????? He didn't consent to a search. What made him a victim was a cop who wanted to throw his power and authority around just to get his balls off. He had long hair and that was enough to stop him. Just like being black, that is enough to stop you. Profiling!!!!

Everything the Brownwood city cops, sheriff did was against the Amendments of the law of our country. He could have been texting a friend asking him if he wants some. That doesn't mean he was going to sell it. Hell, people ask me all the time if I want to come over and get some. I'm smoking it, that doesn't mean I am buying. Let him go!!! You are a bunch of power hungry cops trying to teach a lesson to people who come to Texas. Actually, you are making assholes out of yourselves!!!! I think Brownwood Police Dept needs to be looked into because this ain't right one single bit.

Rick Perry, please get involved and release him and let him go home. You are wasting Texas' dollars by keeping him locked up. Let him out and put the real criminal in jail!

Sat, 08/21/2010 - 1:29pm Permalink
Metookah (not verified)

I am being prosecuted in Corpus Christi aka Corpus Corruption, for a dollar's worth of marijuana. 

My case is also a warrantless search and seizure.  Three men stormed and raided my apartment on April 16, 2010 @ around 11:00 am.  One man was dressed in plain cloths and claimed to be maintenance.  Once I unlocked my door my apartment was raided.  I am in my 40's, wait tables and have back problems.  Three cops stormed my apartment and found a dollars worth of marijuana laying loose by my computer.  My handgun which was kept unloaded in a kitchen drawer was confiscated by the cops during their raid of my home.

I went to court today for my scheduled Docket Control Conference.  My name did not appear on the Court's Docket.  My jury trial has now been rescheduled for December.  

Thu, 10/21/2010 - 9:17pm Permalink
AnomplatMimi (not verified)

I was born & raised in Texas.  I am 33 years old with a *VERY* impressive education & resume, and 2 of my 3 children were taken from me after failing drug tests (hair follicles) for marijuana I smoked in the evenings on occassion while NOT responsible for my children.  I would qualify for MedicaI Use if our state had such a thing.  I am in the Medical field, and i wont say much more, but my decisions regarding this HERB are very educated and as soon as its reasonable I will be forfeiting my Medical Licensure and moving out of this state which has imprisoned me with its ignorance my entire life.

So to respond to what you said specifically ....yes, IT IS...Yes, it WILL BE...and yes, THEY ARE!

Mon, 11/29/2010 - 4:35pm Permalink
Troy (not verified)

It's not just Texas people, These kind of outrages happen everywhere. All perpetrated by a nationally corrupt law enforcement program. Sadomasochist with bursting ego's are a requirement to be a police officer. The people who make these rules and who hurt already hurting people...I think they will all burn in hell one day...you think that's harsh? I'm sick of reading stories like this every single day. Our Bill of Rights and our Constitution mean nothing anymore. Being an AMEICAN means nothing anymore. Actually, these guys should thank God that there still alive and not dead, shot by some maniac cop...that happens everyday to. There are alot of cold blooded killers who are cops, and they get away with murder just because there cops. The whole situation sucks. These cops are no better than the taliban...same kind of people.

Sat, 08/21/2010 - 7:05pm Permalink
Blood Bought (not verified)

Yes, it is like that everywhere. Injustices happen everywhere and if you're on your own, you have no security. That's a good reason to trust the Lord Jesus.

Now, don't get all mean and nasty just because I love Jesus. The laws against pot are ridiculous and wrong and need to change. But, that's really one of the smaller problems we face. The Federal Reserve, our politicians serving themselves, the loss of freedom -- our problems and their potential consequences are so great that people should be afraid to continue without the comfort of faith in the promises of God.

I encourage everyone to read the Bible. Not just a little but to hide it in your heart. The future doesn't look rosy and Jesus said, "If you abide in My Word, then you're truly My disciples and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32 Most everyone has heard the last part of those two verses, but please note that the promise in the last part is based on the condition in the first part.

I testify to you that Jesus is very real and if you'll be honest with Him, He'll be real to you.

Sun, 12/05/2010 - 5:56am Permalink
Cannabis Lover (not verified)

True, it is like that most places, but I myself also live in Texas, I must say I love this state for all that it is except two things. The exceptionally hot summers and the power hungry, overly aggresive police. I just today got off probation after 6 months. Why was I on probation? An "officer" decided I looked suspicious and searched me, found nothing and called in back-up because aparrently I was gonna attack him and was robbing ace hardware at 6 in the evening...the Texas police force is full of police officers that have gone mad with power. Not only can you get arrested very easily by these a**holes but just a single joint, which generally averages out to a gram or less, can get you 6 months in jail. I've in three different states in my life, Texas, Colorado, and Arkansas. Colorado is pretty relaxed on marijuana laws, seeing as how its accepted medically, however, Arkansas has no acceptance for its medicinal use just like Texas. In Arkansas, I was caught with about 2 grams and all that happend was I got a warning and was put on "monitor" meaning that if i was arrested in the next 6 months, id get a possession charge along with whatever id been arrested for. In Texas, just a small little piece of a leaf that stuck to your finger can get you jail time and probation. I am very much so a pro-cannabis person and I believe that the Texas legislature needs to get off their a** and get more relaxed about the harmless plant and crack down on the corrupt officers in the state. Id rather my tax dollars go to making sure that the police were a bit more controlled than putting people in jail just because they have a little green spot on their finger.

Mon, 12/20/2010 - 8:03pm Permalink
Anonymous420 (not verified)

I can't believe any state in the US can find it right to spend the money to imprison someone for life when they just have pot. Hash or not and distribution or personal this guy did not have a lot on him and it was just pot. Hard to believe this is the state Ron Paul is from.

Tue, 08/24/2010 - 12:32am Permalink
TragicShaun (not verified)

I had to do a year probation for being caught with a stem that had a piece of marijuana on it. I doubt it was a consumable amount. Ended up spending a couple days in jail before being bailed out.  I also had to take Drug Awareness Classes, 8 days community service, A.A. classes, and of course hundreds of dollars in fines. Not to mention harassment from the probation officer and random house searches by the sheriff. I tried to stand up and voice my opinion, only to be outcast by most of the community. I am a Nurse Aide and take care of the sheriff's family!!  This is how Texas has become, and it unacceptable!! I fear Texas will be last in line when it comes to ANY kind of legalization. In 2007, Texas passed a law allowing law enforcement to give citations, instead of arrest, for possession of less than 4oz. I have heard law enforcement openly denounce the law, saying that it gives the public the impression that drug use is not serious. We are in the wrong state if you ask me!

Wed, 09/08/2010 - 1:37pm Permalink
Leslie (not verified)

If so, let's all get together and raise money for these poor souls stuck there.  Sounds like Iran or some other ludicrous location where human rights are non-existent.  Fortunately there are great lawyers in the US and though some have said that gay marriage is the last human rights battle, I think getting Texas to realize they are in the US is the last human rights battle!

Tue, 10/05/2010 - 12:57pm Permalink
Anonymouse (not verified)

Is the Cali MMJ doctor required to verify a valid state identification before issuing a recommendation? How about the dispensary?

If so, how did he obtain the MMJ? Are there loopholes?

Inquiring minds would like to know. ;)

Wed, 10/27/2010 - 7:44pm Permalink
JustLegalize (not verified)

Austin is the ONLY city in Texas that realizes that they have more important things to do than terrorize nonviolent marijuana smokers. You may get a ticket, or they may just ask you to put it down and "not let them see you with it again."

I've heard stories from my friends about how the cop would simply put out the joint, set it on the ground, and walk away. The cops in Austin realize that there are crackheads, dope fiends, and murderers out there that are more important than pot smokers.

In Williamson County though, I was arrested for half a gram, and they didn't even bother to take me to jail. I was lucky that it was when I was under 17 and now my record is wiped, but otherwise I would've had a criminal record for something that they could've given me a ticket for.

They harassed me, yelled at me, and didn't even let me sit in a cop car (it was 28 degrees outside, and I was wearing a tank top and a light jacket.)

I was put on probabation, and not allowed to see my best friend, or my boyfriend, because they were with me. Then, when they promised that I could receive counseling, they never called me back.

Marijuana helps my back (I have a slipped disk in my lower back, along with minute scoliosis in my upper back), it helps my depression and anxiety which run in my family, it helps with my insomnia, and my PMS.

My dream is to be able to sit in The Lone Star State which I love so much, and enjoy my medicine without fear of being arrested again. I love Texas. I love Austin, but it is true, they are behind on the medical marijuana, they need to realize that it isn't a dangerous drug, and it especially shouldn't be a schedule I drug.

Also, I think the ignorance of cops is outstanding, I live (of course) in the middle of no where, so our cars get all sorts of things, like leaves and grass in the floorboards. Every time we get pulled over, they always mention that we should clean all the marijuana shake out of our car, when honestly, it's just dead leaves from our yard. Even if it was shake, it would be enough for them to arrest us on. Ha.

Mon, 01/17/2011 - 12:40pm Permalink
JustLegalize (not verified)

Austin is the ONLY city in Texas that realizes that they have more important things to do than terrorize nonviolent marijuana smokers. You may get a ticket, or they may just ask you to put it down and "not let them see you with it again."

I've heard stories from my friends about how the cop would simply put out the joint, set it on the ground, and walk away. The cops in Austin realize that there are crackheads, dope fiends, and murderers out there that are more important than pot smokers.

In Williamson County though, I was arrested for half a gram, and they didn't even bother to take me to jail. I was lucky that it was when I was under 17 and now my record is wiped, but otherwise I would've had a criminal record for something that they could've given me a ticket for.

They harassed me, yelled at me, and didn't even let me sit in a cop car (it was 28 degrees outside, and I was wearing a tank top and a light jacket.)

I was put on probabation, and not allowed to see my best friend, or my boyfriend, because they were with me. Then, when they promised that I could receive counseling, they never called me back.

Marijuana helps my back (I have a slipped disk in my lower back, along with minute scoliosis in my upper back), it helps my depression and anxiety which run in my family, it helps with my insomnia, and my PMS.

My dream is to be able to sit in The Lone Star State which I love so much, and enjoy my medicine without fear of being arrested again. I love Texas. I love Austin, but it is true, they are behind on the medical marijuana, they need to realize that it isn't a dangerous drug, and it especially shouldn't be a schedule I drug.

Also, I think the ignorance of cops is outstanding, I live (of course) in the middle of no where, so our cars get all sorts of things, like leaves and grass in the floorboards. Every time we get pulled over, they always mention that we should clean all the marijuana shake out of our car, when honestly, it's just dead leaves from our yard. Even if it was shake, it would be enough for them to arrest us on. Ha.

Mon, 01/17/2011 - 12:40pm Permalink
JustLegalize (not verified)

If Texas was it's own county, it would have more incarceration rates than any other country, including Russia and China. Not to mention I think the death penalty still exists? Just drop it Texas, these are not the good ol' days. We do not kill someone to teach him that killing is bad. We do not arrest people for holding a plant. We give the sick their medicine, and help those in need. Not throw them in jail for life.

Mon, 01/17/2011 - 12:49pm Permalink
C.D. of Austin Tx (not verified)

Yes, Its heartbreaking. The sad fact about Texas and its corrupt State Courts, corrupt  politicians. Corrupt judges control  corrupt lawyers  who  practice at the pleasure of a  corrupt Texas State Bar Association.  The sitting governor permeating ongoing  corruption on a  vast scale.   The average  person  cannot fathom the dirty dealing these modern day pharisees practice as ah daily  ritual. Remember  sad  and unfortunate  as it is, Austin Texas is where the locals built  a great white marble shrine ... To the most corrupt, downright  fowl and  disgusting  politician the United states has ever spawned. LBJ.

 Right now the people  that control  TEXAS ... make more money off  keeping marijuana illegal ....  As  soon  as  people in control  can make more money by some other forms of  legalization  or medical marijuana reform...  They will  gradually allow what is taking place in California  to take shape in Texas.  

And as for  the BROWN COUNTY atheist  police  who basically  kidnapped and held for ransom,  the young man who had broken no  REAL LAW.  This passage from the Good Book is especially for you.

REVELATIONS  10:13  He  that  leadeth into captivity shall geaux into captivity: He that killith with the sword  must be killed  with  a  sword.  Here  is the patience and the  faith of saints.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 5:59pm Permalink
LetUsChoose (not verified)

I think it's about time we were able to make these choices for ourselves. I have read up on pot and being someone living in Texas and dealing with chronic pain daily that no over the counter pain reliever can seem to ease, I really am getting sick of the government of our 'free' nation telling me what is good or bad for me or what I can or can't do to my own body. I am not a stupid individual and can judge what I need to for myself on my own.

Thu, 06/02/2011 - 4:49am Permalink
The Jew (not verified)

Such a hypocritical contradiction! It's ok in 14 other states and Holland, but a crime in bitch azz Texas! Really! Wanna know what a cop or a state trooper is....? A professional TATTLE TAIL! Remember those kids in school who were known as the " hall monitors" ? Those are the assholes who become cops! Go after the real bad guys! Murders, rapists, and thieves are the problems that pose a true threat. I respect the concept of serving and protecting, but what's happening in this country and the world over marijuana illegal penalties is horse shit! Freedom and justice for all! As for the pigs that arrested Diaz, Cain and other marijuana possession offenders...I hope karma comes back on them 10times fold! Fucking Nazi punks! I bet if the police chief told you to kill, you would! All cops must be now known as ADOLF!
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 3:22pm Permalink
Anonymous1023 (not verified)

life in prison?

it costs taxpayers in Texas 100 thousand dollars A YEAR to keep a single person in prison. all for 50 bucks worth of pot?  and yet people still support the "war" on "drugs"

IT'S A WASTE OF MONEY AND RESOURCES, WAKE UP PEOPLE.

AND THIS WAS 2 YEARS AGO. SO IF THEY WERE CONVICTED THEY HAVE ALREADY WASTED 400 THOUSAND DOLLARS. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I COULD DO WITH THAT MUCH MONEY?

Fri, 03/09/2012 - 7:57am Permalink
Cheryl (not verified)

This shows just how unfair our justice system is--wth?

Mon, 07/16/2012 - 7:11pm Permalink
Mitch Granderson (not verified)

As a Texan from Fort Worth, I am absolutely discussed with the justice system in my state after reading this! The poor kid is sick. If the kid were high while driving, that would be one thing, but to lock him up in this state for having a medicine prescribed in another state seems to defy all logic in my opinion. When will we wake up and realize that many of these people the DEA, ICE, and the FBI are fighting are innocent people who aren't hurting anyone else. Smoking marijuana is not a crime, but a family choice, one I would never want my three daughters to do. I would be more scared of the police who would ruin their lives just for lacking proper judgement in their earlier years. I believe there should at least be punishment based on the severity of the crime. I'm tired of hearing stories of innocent people be made criminals by this judicial system. As a Christian, I do not partake in any action or substance that are deemed as unfavorable by my religion. Having said that, I do not feel everyone should follow the same laws as myself. I do not drink, smoke, cuss, fight or gamble because that is what my religion views as being ritious. I don't use profanity because it's against the law, I do it because I am a person who doesn't do that. The same goes for drugs. I do not do drugs because I view it as a moral issue. It is rediculous to waste my hard earned money on laws that benefit nobody. When will people start to see the reality of the issue? You want a nanny government, the DEA would fit that description perfectly! I am praying for these poor victims, of their illnesses and their misfortune with these laws. God bless all these poor families who have fallen victim to this absurdity.
Sat, 10/06/2012 - 8:30pm Permalink
Steven Razo (not verified)

So I hit caught with about 3 oz of marijuana and 7 grams of hash which they labeled it 4 to 400 grams of hash. I'm fucking scared cause I'm reading all this shit about going to prison for life and I feel like starting a new life in another country. I'm a patient in California and I wasn't smart ebough to invest my time in wether marijuana is illegal here in Texas or not. I just don't think it's fair. Specially being convicted as a felony? C'mon Texas?
Tue, 02/19/2013 - 11:39am Permalink
David Bradley (not verified)

On Halloween morning I was stopped driving through Wichita Falls Texas. Now face up to two years and huge fines. Was locked in solitary for two days, denied my phone call for 14 hours and received no medical attention even though officers were informed I am an aids survivor and suffer mental dissabillity. I have had medical authorization since 1996. They seized my car, cash and all my belongings and now I'm sitting a motel on bail waiting for judgement. Being stuck here is almost as bad as the horric penalties for a non violent crime. Any legal types in the area with advice I would be grateful. [email protected]
Sat, 11/02/2013 - 9:10pm Permalink

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