OBJECTIVE A: Reduce longstanding racial inequities in policing, prosecution, and incarceration by joining with advocates on both sides of the aisle to pursue decriminalization of recreational marijuana in Texas. We are pursuing this bold course because we anticipate that decriminalization of marijuana will: 

Curb over-policing by removing marijuana as just cause for police stops and searches. This is important to Black and Brown communities where over-policing has led to inequitably high rates of prosecution and incarceration for marijuana use and small scale possession. 

Reduce workload pressures on law enforcement agencies, allowing them to focus their limited resources on violent crime. 

Generate new revenues that we believe should be used to expand career connected learning for all young people (including those exiting jails/prisons). 

Prompt the release of people held now in jails and prisons on small-scale marijuana possession offenses. 

OBJECTIVE B: Allocate revenues from production, distribution, and sale of marijuana to funding massive new career connected learning infrastructure for all Texas youth, including those at risk in the school-to-prison pipeline, and adults exiting prisons and jails. 

We call for a new approach that equips nonviolent prisoners filling Texas jails and prisons to start real careers when they return to their communities — as the vast majority do. 

Prisoners statewide deserve the rewards of a paycheck for a day’s work rather than the pennies a day paid to them for working in prisons under conditions akin to legalized slavery. Those full paychecks will generate value for Texas taxpayers, rather than generating costs to them for care and feeding of people who can work.