Strict penalties for possessing marijuana in Texas could soon go up in smoke.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced he's open to dropping the maximum punishment for possession of less than 2 ounces of the drug from 180 days in jail to a fine. The shift drew excitement from advocates and state lawmakers who have lobbied for years to decriminalize marijuana, which records show leads to more than 60,000 possession arrests in Texas each year.
"You have a certain idea of what members want to achieve going into the next session, I think that's at the top of the list of many members," said Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth.
But, it's far from certain. Past efforts by Texas House members to reduce penalties have failed. None has made it before the more conservative state Senate.
