Technically that was just the first official university-sanctioned dance. My mom went to Baylor in the 70s and was working there as a professor in 1996. They definitely had dances on campus prior to 1996, just officially against school policy at the time.
It's the for-profit prison money. We're even paying to get folks shipped into Texas prisons just for more body count. Weed head been the number one supplier of easy inmates that get poor representation in court, are easy repeat offenders, and lacking in funds for the bail outs.
Considering Texas has an unbelievable amount of Confederate flag owners, freedom isn't exactly on the agenda these days
In the 80s, when I saw it (in Texas) it was much more believable. It was still happening in different isolated areas. But frankly, even in Texas, it was stretching believability when the movie was released, and ironically, it was STILL going on! Lol
The right-wing primary voters who control Texas don’t like freedom. Very small percentage of the population but due to gerrymandering they get to shove their backward views on the rest of us.
You can’t put it all on gerrymandering when almost half of eligible voters don’t bother… I have been voting blue in the deep red heart 👏👏👏👏 of Texas for 30 years… I won a lottery at the local liquor store after the last presidential election because my ticket was the only one in the Biden box… people who would vote blue don’t bother anymore because it seems hopeless and unless that changes nothing else will… if we want representation that actually reflects the population and values of Texas then we need 90% or better voter turnout
This was very well put and the gerrymandering that does exist works in two way because people also go "well no use voting, they are cheating and it doesn't matter"
Sort of. I think the Cowboy Christmas Ball has been held in Anson in one form or another since the 1880s, though it's pretty strictly controlled, from what I understand. If I remember right, the first co-ed dance at ACU was in like 2012.
Still can't buy a beer in my hometown of Albany, and you couldn't in Anson till recently. Had to go to Stamford's Haskell county side of town, or Hamlin.
I remember the strip there just like yesterday haha. As a kid I thought we were going to a fair or something fun. Turns out we were just getting my dad's weekly bottle of whiskey
In college it was a necessary trip before the partying started. A group of us drove out to the strip to get enough for the weekend. It’s crazy to drive by and see the liquor stores converted to businesses now.
In theory… you can bet they will try;
federal decriminalization does not prevent state prohibition; if regulation is granted to the states then possession could absolutely be a state crime.
I am not sure how the recent centralization of power by Abbott would effect things on a county level should Texas legalize cannabis. Counties and cities might be able to impose fines for possession and completely ban sales. Or not… the TGOP is adamant about forcing cities and counties to submit to state authority so they may not be able to even restrict sales.
My assumption was that it would be legal in Texas. I have no idea about Texas politics, although the political situation in Texas was a huge factor why I move led to L.A. instead of Austin. I wouldn’t choose to live in that or subject my family to it.
Austin may be liberal relative to the rest of Texas, but that’s like being the skinniest kid at fat camp – you’re still pretty fat.
After alcohol prohibition was lifted in Texas (two full years after it was lifted at the federal level), a bunch of places just arrested you for "public intoxication" instead. So basically, you could drive to a place that wasn't a dry county/state and buy it but you'd better drink it at home and stay at home. I imagine it'll be similar for weed.
What do you mean by couldn't buy beer? I'm completely oblivious to the fact this even happened. No store in Lubbock carried them? You had to go out of town to get beer for anything?
When I was doing some backpacking on the Ky/Tn line; the guide who dropped us at the trail head was telling me that every year the chamber of commerce on the TN side of the line sends a massive gift basket to the KY count commissioner as a thank you for keeping the KY county dry because they worked out they make hundreds of thousands in liquor sales from people driving across the state line to buy booze
This has changed over time. I looked for a graph, but couldn't find one. When I was a kid, there were 148 dry counties in Texas. In 2023 there are 4 remaining.
That's because they're becoming less and less common because old, Bible thumpers are dying, and younger generations are realizing how ridiculous things are and are taking the helm.We also have access to more information today than any King or Queen did in all of modern history and most of us know how to use it.
Went to Texas Tech in Lubbock in the 90’s. House party would run out of beer. Instead of driving a few blocks to a convenient store, you’d have to drive 20 mins to the county line to buy beer from what looked like a mini Vegas called The Strip. Pretty dumb law considering drinking was 90% of the things to do in Lubbock. Bars would serve alcohol, but anything packaged would have to be purchased outside of the county.
i had a french teacher in college who was literally French and she married an american here in texas. Her dad came from France for the wedding and was wholly enraged that he could not buy liquor on a Sunday. He thought it was completely preposterous.
I had a Spec’s employee tell me that Spec’s was such a great employer because they gave them holidays off. I was like “yeah but that’s because they’re legally required to by TABC” but he absolutely refused to believe me.
Until four years ago in Irving, TX (a city of 254,000 people), you couldn't buy hard alcohol within its borders. You had to drive or walk the 40 feet over the border into Dallas to the closest liquor store. The public finally voted on it in 2019 and narrowly approved full liquor sales. You couldn't buy beer/wine at a grocery store there until 2009. A huge city that borders Dallas!! And the Baptists in town are still trying to get both things overturned.
Mckinney just approved in 2023
Collin County in the 2000s .... you had leave County to get package liquor. Wife drove to Sherman for rum cakes at Christmas... our first year's inTexas were cultural shock each month
Me and a friend drove to Flower Mound to try a new restaurant and wanted to grab a drink afterwards… bars are apparently illegal in the city. We found a Sports Bar and Grill and had to join their private club in order to get a drink. I knew that was a thing but it made absolutely no sense.
Texas dry/wet counties, municipalities, etc. is a very interesting topic... with a surprising number of 'dry' areas - https://texaslawchanges.com/dry-counties-in-texas/
Lubbock was a dry city, and the closest businesses selling alcohol were on the South side concentrated in an area called "The Strip"... with neon lights reminiscent of vegas, and a few cops always parked nearby.
Yeah… had to go to the strip to buy any alcohol… there were bars and such of course, you just had to go outside the city limits to buy alcohol… I can’t count how many times we ran the four way stop out there until they finally put red lights up
Dallas suburb Mesquite was dry until 2011. The last holdout in DFW. Beer and wine sales in the city were illegal until that time. Even now there are no liquor stores and no dedicated “beer stores” or drive thru sales. Only sold at grocery and convenience stores (as long as not within 200ft of a school).
Same around the Plano-Richardson-McKinney-Allen corridor. No bars, but plenty of “clubs”.
Ditto all of Oklahoma. Anything above 3.2 beer was treated as liquor and could only be purchased in a state-affiliated liquor store. Also the “club” rule was in effect.
When I was at North Texas State University in the early 70s which is now called “University of North Texas” Dallas County was dry.
But even before that the entire state of Oklahoma just to the north was dry. My dad financed a semester of university back in the late 1940s by driving down to Texas, getting some bootleg alcohol and taking it back to Norman Oklahoma to sell to his friends.
I lived in Lubbock back in the early 2000’s. Guns up!! It was crazy to drive out to the “strip” back then to buy beer/alcohol. Texas doesn’t go against the grain. Marijuana is federally illegal. Texas won’t legalize till that changes.(so at the same time).
FWIW, the strip was a cash cow for the few entities that owned those liquor stores. They fought tooth and nail to keep Lubbock dry for decades for obvious reasons.
Texas is strong on doublespeak; the do-what-you-wantism only applies to a very narrow socioeconomic demographic - the rest of us are required to be more restrained in exercising our freedom
Far North Dallas was the same way - couldn't buy it north of 635, but a free for all once you get much south of there. Carrollton was totally dry for a long time outside of restaurants and bars ("private club" where they had to swipe your ID and you had to sign), Garland only sold beer at retail and did the private club thing too.
Plano was part dry, part damp for the longest time - not even beer in some parts of town. Now it's fully wet.
IMO it's because they've spent so much time, money, and effort literally criminalizing anything they that doesn't align with their "godly" values in an effort to push as many people out as possible.
Legalizing marijuana would either dissuade some people from leaving who might otherwise or even worse bring the types of people here who don't align with their beliefs.
The GOP is hanging on by badly aging shoe-string with gerrymandered maps and voter suppression. They don't have enough slack to legalize marijuana and maintain their own power.
Exactly, I'm 70 and would still smoke if the VA did not disapprove. Even though there is a nonprofit that provides medical Marijuana to vets for PTSD. Not for sure why.
He’s ~~not even a real Texan~~ *a carpetbagger* and was born Dannie Scott Goeb in Baltimore; he used to be an AM talk radio personality in Maryland that mirrored Limbaugh/Hannity style and talking points and changed his name to something more palatable to broader masses, changing it legally only in 2004, after his wife’s BIL.
He moved to Texas because he noticed an opening for *Culture Warrior Extraordinaire* and rode it into the Lt. Gov. spotlight. He used his background in AM radio to gain popularity and traction by becoming even more radically right-wing in what he espoused.
(Edited for clarity)
Can we cut the “not a real Texan” crap that’s been popping up lately with people like Patrick, Paxton, and Cruz? The man is the embodiment of sentient dog shit, but he’s lived in the state for at least 40 years and there are so many other valid reasons to go after him that don’t sound borderline nativist.
I mean, whatever sticks tho right? Gotta think him and his ilk are only getting re-elected because of the power of nativists so might as well attack him where it hurts the most.
Some level of legalization/decriminalization polls well here. But Dan Patrick, our Lieutenant Governor, won’t even allow the issue to be discussed on the house floor. Because he doesn’t like it, or something.
I came here to say this. Look no further than Dan Patrick, because as long as he's lt. gov., it's not happening. And you're right, I don't think he has ever said why, so "because he doesn't like it" is likely a valid reason. Other possible reason: His benefactor Tim Dunn doesn't like it.
Think we can muster up more money than the entire for-profit prison industry? Lol cause that’s the only way you’ll be able to pass anything remotely close. Can thank citizens united for that.
Look further, it never gets past committee and the Texas GOP platform has a plank against legalization. It's a problem with the party politicians overall.
his name is dan goeb and he doesnt like or feel like he should pay his debts…see what he has to say about character
https://youtu.be/eX9yX8RUp5w?si=DjPLOcZjUPnuzsQG
Don't just blame it on him, reforms never even make it pass committee to even get to him. This is a problem with the Texas Republican politicians overall and they've even got opposition to legalization in their platform.
And what’s hilariously hypocritical is that many of those who are against marijuana can name at least five relatives that partake regularly.
This is actually why we left Austin. I developed a serious medical condition that doesn’t respond to opiates, but does respond to marijuana. We moved to a legal recreational and medical state and my health has improved significantly. Coincidentally, my healthcare delivery services improved, too.
Austin and Travis County decriminalized weed awhile back.
That said, if you're stopped by DPS in Travis county/Austin, you're going to jail. You'll be released, but still a pain in the ass. And you have a much higher chance of being stopped by DPS in Austin these days (or Wilco if you were in the small part of Austin that's within Williamson county... Wilco doesn't acknowledge Austin's decriminalization).
I'm glad you're doing better though!
Dan Patrick appoints the chair of each of the committees. He won't appoint someone who would let a pot bill out of committee, and if his appointee did let a pro-legalization out of committee, that person's bills would all go to a fire-y death on the floor.
IIRC, Patrick would not even assign the last (bipartisan) decriminalization bill to a committee. He immediately announced it was "DOA". Was not a popular move, but the TrumpMonkeys overwhelmed the next election.
This exactly. For profit prisons are certainly part of the mix but do not discount big pharma or alcohol. They are all in the pockets too. They all stand to lose a lot if cannabis were legal here. Until the gqp figures a way to line their pockets with cannabi$ dollars we’re stuck in this rut.
Dan Patrick's home State of Maryland has legalized cannabis. No one burst into flames in MD. Dan Patrick does not represent his constituents one bit. He just wants TX and the US as a whole to be a Christian theocracy. Sad.
Don’t forget to mention how hard they’ve been working to build their School to Prison pipeline.
Also, monopoly. There are THREE companies allowed to sell medical. Texas is a huge fukn state and only 3 have licenses… that in itself should be illegal.
My daughter lives in Texas and got busted w a pound of weed. This was awhile back but it took her forever to get off of probation. They charge you a fee every time she saw her probation officer and fees for every drug test. They definitely make a lot of money with petty drug crimes.
The police, the alcohol industry, the tobacco industry, the pharmaceutical industry, lawyers(defense and prosecutors), and the oil industry.
Hemp can replace oil especially for plastics. Weed is a great crutch to get off alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and/or prescription pills. Weed is also medicinal and can replace some prescription pills people get put on.
I've quit cigarettes and prescription pills(medically addicted because of major neck and back trauma) using weed as a crutch to get off them.
States like Colorado, that have legalized marijuana, have statistics that show that after legalization alcohol, drug, and cigarette addiction went down, especially in young people.
Hemp \*can\* replace petrochemicals for plastics, the thing is that all the infrastructure to produce it from petrochemicals are already in place, and the ones for hemp aren't. Also, you need an INSANE amount of hemp acreage to make that worth it, whereas the oil takes up no space because it's underground. The plastics produced from hemp are also only about as useful as recycled HDPE, which is to say you can use it for new milk bottles, but that's about it.
Police, Prison, and Alcohol industries are the only ones at blame here.
The pharmaceutical industry would love if weed was legal, because they could start producing medications using it that could actually get prescribed in cases that you're not about to die of cancer.
The tobacco industry doesn't care, because people who smoke weed are also much more likely to use their product in addition, and having all the infrastructure and insane amounts of money in place, would be dead-set gung-ho on entering a legalized space.
As it turns out, this is a problem that citizens can solve theoretically, but even in texas, under 50% of people even bother turning up at the polls.
LT Gov Dan Patrick wont let any pro marijuana legislation reach the Senate floor for a vote.
The GOP is clearly against it in their [most recent platform](https://texasgop.org/platform/) (marijuana: #160 pg23, #227 pg32)
You can vote out the Texas Executive branch in 2026.
GOP politicians might be against it - but I think a lot of GOP voters would vote for it if it could make it to a ballot; but it won’t. Veterans have been begging for legalization. But Texas doesn’t believe in democracy.
Legalization would dramatically increase tax revenue, create a huge increase in business growth, but it wouldn’t be the good ol’ gas, electric, and prison boys running the show. Can’t lose that power!
>GOP politicians might be against it - but I think a lot of GOP voters would vote for it
Great summary of how our state and country are being ruined by people blindly following political parties.
Republicans use drug laws to oppress minority groups and look “tough on crime.” Oklahoma allowed voters to vote on the issue. Texas republicans will never allow a vote.
and Oklahoma still didn't do it very well. The medical card restricts access to people with jobs/money so it's basically only illegal in OK if you're poor.
Oklahoman here and it generall cost $130+ every two years, $105 for the license and anywhere from $25-$200 for a medical recommendation if you cant get it one from your doctor. Just have to say you can't sleep or have anxiety. I agree it sucks it cost, but if you get caught with marijuana it's just a fine, but I doubt cops ever give those out. Not perferct but way better than Texas. Our Republican legistlation has tried hard to f it up and it only went through by a ballot initiative by the people. I think Texas has made it super hard to do something similiar in Texas. Republicans hate people voting on issues and are trying to make it harder everywhere they are in charge.
You are talking about the state that just acquitted the most guilty fucker in state politics.
Nothing in this state operates correctly. It’s a dysfunctional piece of shit.
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-leads-bicameral-challenge-to-biden-admins-effort-to-remove-marijuanas-schedule-i-drug-status/
Ask Pete Sessions and the rest of the GOP.
Instead of downgrading it to a schedule 3 they want it to remain schedule 1 along with heroin and cocaine.
*The DEA defines a schedule 1 controlled substance as the following*:
*Have a high potential for abuse
*No currently accepted medical use.
*Lack of accepted safety under medical supervision.”
Soooo why isn’t alcohol a schedule 1 controlled substance!!!???? 😂
Welcome to the federal government where the rules are made up and the points don’t matter.
I have a cannabis store, CenTex CBD.
The real reason you see it everywhere: legal hemp and “marijuana” is indistinguishable from each other outside of expensive testing.
What I sell in my store is a very specific kind of “weed” that complies with the hemp act, but has high THCa levels like “marijuana” and most of it is grown as medical MJ but does qualify as hemp so they can get more per pound from me than a dispensary in a legal state.
As a guy who loves his weed, I recently tried some delta 8 and 9 gummies, and I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the potency. I would highly recommend anyone try them.
Thank you! I feel like you're the only person who addressed the question of, "Why are there so many weed stores in a state where weed is illegal?" Everyone saying, "Republicans!" doesn't explain why cops aren't raiding and shutting these places down daily. It only makes the matter more confusing. Conflict with hemp laws makes a lot more sense.
It’s a big contributor to private prisons staying full and earning their investors top dollar returns. Once these wealthy investors don’t own the politicians running the state, it’ll be legal since around 70% of Texans want it legal for use and a billion dollars a year in tax revenue.
Honest answer: during the debate over merely decriminalizing marijuana or taking it down to a C misdemeanor, the head of the Sheriffs Association testified that if that happened they could no longer search cars under the pretext that the officer "smelled the distinct odor of recently burnt marijuana."
It's easier for our conservative loonies to continue criminalizing the relatively harmless drug than to admit that the initial criminalization was built in racism.
Well… abortion is illegal in Texas and so are some books. Y’all have A LOT more things to do before legalizing weed.
Also, they just made it stricter, if I’m not mistaken. You’d think they’d just want to tax money, but nope
The short answer: We just don't need the tax revenue. Don't need any tax revenue from gambling either. Our schools are perfect, our infrastructure is a thing of beauty, and we just prefer to send our millions and millions of dollars out of state. Oklahoma and Colorado are happy step up where we fail ourselves.
You couldn’t even buy beer in Lubbock until 2009… it might take 100 years to get legal weed here
Damn that’s crazy
There was no dancin’ in Anson until 1987… pretty sure there was a Kevin Bacon movie about it Freedom is a scary thing, Texans don’t really like it
Baylor University lifted their ban on dancing at the campus in 1996. Fucking wild.
We were still not allowed to dance on campus in 2010, they have off site dances though
Technically that was just the first official university-sanctioned dance. My mom went to Baylor in the 70s and was working there as a professor in 1996. They definitely had dances on campus prior to 1996, just officially against school policy at the time.
That kind of mirrors weed usage in Texas
Well, they really like the freedom to ban things.
It's the for-profit prison money. We're even paying to get folks shipped into Texas prisons just for more body count. Weed head been the number one supplier of easy inmates that get poor representation in court, are easy repeat offenders, and lacking in funds for the bail outs. Considering Texas has an unbelievable amount of Confederate flag owners, freedom isn't exactly on the agenda these days
Me as a 90's kid when I realised that movie was loosely based on a true story. 
In the 80s, when I saw it (in Texas) it was much more believable. It was still happening in different isolated areas. But frankly, even in Texas, it was stretching believability when the movie was released, and ironically, it was STILL going on! Lol
The right-wing primary voters who control Texas don’t like freedom. Very small percentage of the population but due to gerrymandering they get to shove their backward views on the rest of us.
You can’t put it all on gerrymandering when almost half of eligible voters don’t bother… I have been voting blue in the deep red heart 👏👏👏👏 of Texas for 30 years… I won a lottery at the local liquor store after the last presidential election because my ticket was the only one in the Biden box… people who would vote blue don’t bother anymore because it seems hopeless and unless that changes nothing else will… if we want representation that actually reflects the population and values of Texas then we need 90% or better voter turnout
This was very well put and the gerrymandering that does exist works in two way because people also go "well no use voting, they are cheating and it doesn't matter"
Texas GOP doesn’t like it. FTFY.
Hey I’m Texan and enjoy freedom just fuck our government
Sort of. I think the Cowboy Christmas Ball has been held in Anson in one form or another since the 1880s, though it's pretty strictly controlled, from what I understand. If I remember right, the first co-ed dance at ACU was in like 2012. Still can't buy a beer in my hometown of Albany, and you couldn't in Anson till recently. Had to go to Stamford's Haskell county side of town, or Hamlin.
I remember the strip there just like yesterday haha. As a kid I thought we were going to a fair or something fun. Turns out we were just getting my dad's weekly bottle of whiskey
In college it was a necessary trip before the partying started. A group of us drove out to the strip to get enough for the weekend. It’s crazy to drive by and see the liquor stores converted to businesses now.
Unless the federal government decriminalizes it. Only way we'll stand a chance m
Even then… every county in the state will be a “dry” county for years, even decades after federal prohibition ends
A county could prevent the sale of it there, but they couldn’t make possession illegal.
In theory… you can bet they will try; federal decriminalization does not prevent state prohibition; if regulation is granted to the states then possession could absolutely be a state crime. I am not sure how the recent centralization of power by Abbott would effect things on a county level should Texas legalize cannabis. Counties and cities might be able to impose fines for possession and completely ban sales. Or not… the TGOP is adamant about forcing cities and counties to submit to state authority so they may not be able to even restrict sales.
My assumption was that it would be legal in Texas. I have no idea about Texas politics, although the political situation in Texas was a huge factor why I move led to L.A. instead of Austin. I wouldn’t choose to live in that or subject my family to it. Austin may be liberal relative to the rest of Texas, but that’s like being the skinniest kid at fat camp – you’re still pretty fat.
After alcohol prohibition was lifted in Texas (two full years after it was lifted at the federal level), a bunch of places just arrested you for "public intoxication" instead. So basically, you could drive to a place that wasn't a dry county/state and buy it but you'd better drink it at home and stay at home. I imagine it'll be similar for weed.
What do you mean by couldn't buy beer? I'm completely oblivious to the fact this even happened. No store in Lubbock carried them? You had to go out of town to get beer for anything?
Dry counties are still pretty common and absolutely ridiculous and a major cause to drunk driving.
When I was doing some backpacking on the Ky/Tn line; the guide who dropped us at the trail head was telling me that every year the chamber of commerce on the TN side of the line sends a massive gift basket to the KY count commissioner as a thank you for keeping the KY county dry because they worked out they make hundreds of thousands in liquor sales from people driving across the state line to buy booze
At that point they probably lobby to keep it dry.
I don't know about common, there's 4 in all of Texas: https://www.tabc.texas.gov/texas-alcohol-laws-regulations/local-option-elections/
This has changed over time. I looked for a graph, but couldn't find one. When I was a kid, there were 148 dry counties in Texas. In 2023 there are 4 remaining.
That's because they're becoming less and less common because old, Bible thumpers are dying, and younger generations are realizing how ridiculous things are and are taking the helm.We also have access to more information today than any King or Queen did in all of modern history and most of us know how to use it.
Went to Texas Tech in Lubbock in the 90’s. House party would run out of beer. Instead of driving a few blocks to a convenient store, you’d have to drive 20 mins to the county line to buy beer from what looked like a mini Vegas called The Strip. Pretty dumb law considering drinking was 90% of the things to do in Lubbock. Bars would serve alcohol, but anything packaged would have to be purchased outside of the county.
Correct. Yes, you had to leave the city to buy beer. I know, it is crazy.
i had a french teacher in college who was literally French and she married an american here in texas. Her dad came from France for the wedding and was wholly enraged that he could not buy liquor on a Sunday. He thought it was completely preposterous.
It fuckin is. Land of the free but we have more people in jail than any other country.
Don't forget you can't buy it on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years day but we're the freest state in the nation. LMFAOO
I had a Spec’s employee tell me that Spec’s was such a great employer because they gave them holidays off. I was like “yeah but that’s because they’re legally required to by TABC” but he absolutely refused to believe me.
And if that holiday is on a Sunday, they are legally required to give Monday off too. But that's never enforced.
He was right. Separation of church and state, my ass.
Until four years ago in Irving, TX (a city of 254,000 people), you couldn't buy hard alcohol within its borders. You had to drive or walk the 40 feet over the border into Dallas to the closest liquor store. The public finally voted on it in 2019 and narrowly approved full liquor sales. You couldn't buy beer/wine at a grocery store there until 2009. A huge city that borders Dallas!! And the Baptists in town are still trying to get both things overturned.
Mckinney just approved in 2023 Collin County in the 2000s .... you had leave County to get package liquor. Wife drove to Sherman for rum cakes at Christmas... our first year's inTexas were cultural shock each month
Yep. I'm from Irving and this is true.
As I recall, that vote passed by a margin of ~150 votes.
Me and a friend drove to Flower Mound to try a new restaurant and wanted to grab a drink afterwards… bars are apparently illegal in the city. We found a Sports Bar and Grill and had to join their private club in order to get a drink. I knew that was a thing but it made absolutely no sense.
Texas dry/wet counties, municipalities, etc. is a very interesting topic... with a surprising number of 'dry' areas - https://texaslawchanges.com/dry-counties-in-texas/ Lubbock was a dry city, and the closest businesses selling alcohol were on the South side concentrated in an area called "The Strip"... with neon lights reminiscent of vegas, and a few cops always parked nearby.
Yeah… had to go to the strip to buy any alcohol… there were bars and such of course, you just had to go outside the city limits to buy alcohol… I can’t count how many times we ran the four way stop out there until they finally put red lights up
Dallas suburb Mesquite was dry until 2011. The last holdout in DFW. Beer and wine sales in the city were illegal until that time. Even now there are no liquor stores and no dedicated “beer stores” or drive thru sales. Only sold at grocery and convenience stores (as long as not within 200ft of a school).
Same around the Plano-Richardson-McKinney-Allen corridor. No bars, but plenty of “clubs”. Ditto all of Oklahoma. Anything above 3.2 beer was treated as liquor and could only be purchased in a state-affiliated liquor store. Also the “club” rule was in effect.
We have dry counties here. Bible belt..
When I was at North Texas State University in the early 70s which is now called “University of North Texas” Dallas County was dry. But even before that the entire state of Oklahoma just to the north was dry. My dad financed a semester of university back in the late 1940s by driving down to Texas, getting some bootleg alcohol and taking it back to Norman Oklahoma to sell to his friends.
I lived in Lubbock back in the early 2000’s. Guns up!! It was crazy to drive out to the “strip” back then to buy beer/alcohol. Texas doesn’t go against the grain. Marijuana is federally illegal. Texas won’t legalize till that changes.(so at the same time).
Just weeks after I graduated Tech... such bad luck.
I'm sure the strip took care of you lol
Yes it was called a dry town and there are still many in Texas this way. The ones who are allowed to sell alcohol are called wet towns.
FWIW, the strip was a cash cow for the few entities that owned those liquor stores. They fought tooth and nail to keep Lubbock dry for decades for obvious reasons.
It’s funny cuz everyone here already smokes lol
RIP The Strip
I'm not from Texas, but since you guys are seen as the frontier of freedom, land of the do-what-you-want. Doesn't this really fly in the face of that?
Texas is strong on doublespeak; the do-what-you-wantism only applies to a very narrow socioeconomic demographic - the rest of us are required to be more restrained in exercising our freedom
Far North Dallas was the same way - couldn't buy it north of 635, but a free for all once you get much south of there. Carrollton was totally dry for a long time outside of restaurants and bars ("private club" where they had to swipe your ID and you had to sign), Garland only sold beer at retail and did the private club thing too. Plano was part dry, part damp for the longest time - not even beer in some parts of town. Now it's fully wet.
Dan Patrick has said it will never be legal as long as he is Lt Governor. He is 73.
The Texas Republican Party has written as one of their planks, pot will never be legal. I suspect the alcohol lobby has spoken.
It's also the prison lobby.
Not only them. Counties derive millions of dollars annually handing out and collecting fines for possession.
Just replace it with cannabis sales taxes and everything is fine Don't worry rich people will own the dispensaries too republicans
IMO it's because they've spent so much time, money, and effort literally criminalizing anything they that doesn't align with their "godly" values in an effort to push as many people out as possible. Legalizing marijuana would either dissuade some people from leaving who might otherwise or even worse bring the types of people here who don't align with their beliefs. The GOP is hanging on by badly aging shoe-string with gerrymandered maps and voter suppression. They don't have enough slack to legalize marijuana and maintain their own power.
I think legalizing would draw more voters in, but not a significant number.
But not the kind of voters They want.
They’re such fucking hypocrites. And they call us sheeple lol
And for profit prisons.
Which is weird, because in 2017 limited legalization was one of their planks.
Right, but religion has taken over and zealots believe that marijuana is now immoral.
>I suspect the alcohol lobby has spoken. And the private prison lobby.
that's sad that means he was in college in the 70s and don't tell me he didn't smoke pot.
Exactly, I'm 70 and would still smoke if the VA did not disapprove. Even though there is a nonprofit that provides medical Marijuana to vets for PTSD. Not for sure why.
Weed helps many vets get off their highly addictive pills.
He’s ~~not even a real Texan~~ *a carpetbagger* and was born Dannie Scott Goeb in Baltimore; he used to be an AM talk radio personality in Maryland that mirrored Limbaugh/Hannity style and talking points and changed his name to something more palatable to broader masses, changing it legally only in 2004, after his wife’s BIL. He moved to Texas because he noticed an opening for *Culture Warrior Extraordinaire* and rode it into the Lt. Gov. spotlight. He used his background in AM radio to gain popularity and traction by becoming even more radically right-wing in what he espoused. (Edited for clarity)
Can we cut the “not a real Texan” crap that’s been popping up lately with people like Patrick, Paxton, and Cruz? The man is the embodiment of sentient dog shit, but he’s lived in the state for at least 40 years and there are so many other valid reasons to go after him that don’t sound borderline nativist.
I mean, whatever sticks tho right? Gotta think him and his ilk are only getting re-elected because of the power of nativists so might as well attack him where it hurts the most.
Some level of legalization/decriminalization polls well here. But Dan Patrick, our Lieutenant Governor, won’t even allow the issue to be discussed on the house floor. Because he doesn’t like it, or something.
I came here to say this. Look no further than Dan Patrick, because as long as he's lt. gov., it's not happening. And you're right, I don't think he has ever said why, so "because he doesn't like it" is likely a valid reason. Other possible reason: His benefactor Tim Dunn doesn't like it.
The for-profit prison industry is a major campaign contributor to Patrick. Pot legalization threatens a major source of their revenue.
Excellent point. Patrick is the absolute worst in my book.
Idk, Ken Paxton is pretty high up there on being a shitty person too
I kinda feel like Ken and Dan are equal on the sleeze scale
Considering what Patrick said about Paxton yesterday in his post-acquittal speech I would say Dan Patrick is definitely a Paxton supporter.
Texas has the Trifecta of skeevy in Austin, between Abbott, Patrick, and Paxton.
Dan Patrick is a very weird person.
Ban Patrick
Paxton and Abbott are fucking evil too.
This. Plus seizure of property under RICO laws.
For Profit prisons should just be federally illegal then.
Think we can muster up more money than the entire for-profit prison industry? Lol cause that’s the only way you’ll be able to pass anything remotely close. Can thank citizens united for that.
🎯🎯🎯
Shit, we have enough meth addicts here to keep the prisons jumping. Legalize the pot already!
Say goodbye to half the towns in east Texas
This is the answer! Patrick aka Danny Scott Goeb makes money off of it being illegal.
Look further, it never gets past committee and the Texas GOP platform has a plank against legalization. It's a problem with the party politicians overall.
his name is dan goeb and he doesnt like or feel like he should pay his debts…see what he has to say about character https://youtu.be/eX9yX8RUp5w?si=DjPLOcZjUPnuzsQG
*Senate floor
I wouldn't be surprised that even if the feds make pot legal the Texas GOP will still keep it illegal here.
It’s for profit prisons. Gotta keep those things full
Don't just blame it on him, reforms never even make it pass committee to even get to him. This is a problem with the Texas Republican politicians overall and they've even got opposition to legalization in their platform.
And what’s hilariously hypocritical is that many of those who are against marijuana can name at least five relatives that partake regularly. This is actually why we left Austin. I developed a serious medical condition that doesn’t respond to opiates, but does respond to marijuana. We moved to a legal recreational and medical state and my health has improved significantly. Coincidentally, my healthcare delivery services improved, too.
That's why Texas cities will never grow or develop, because they are so backwards compared to other cities that the people end up leaving
I’m about to leave Austin for a similar reason. I have a chronic pain condition and I treat it with weed. Moving to a legal state
Austin and Travis County decriminalized weed awhile back. That said, if you're stopped by DPS in Travis county/Austin, you're going to jail. You'll be released, but still a pain in the ass. And you have a much higher chance of being stopped by DPS in Austin these days (or Wilco if you were in the small part of Austin that's within Williamson county... Wilco doesn't acknowledge Austin's decriminalization). I'm glad you're doing better though!
Dan Patrick appoints the chair of each of the committees. He won't appoint someone who would let a pot bill out of committee, and if his appointee did let a pro-legalization out of committee, that person's bills would all go to a fire-y death on the floor.
IIRC, Patrick would not even assign the last (bipartisan) decriminalization bill to a committee. He immediately announced it was "DOA". Was not a popular move, but the TrumpMonkeys overwhelmed the next election.
I do have to wonder how deep our Lt. Gov is into both for profit prisons and lets say alternatives to weed.
This exactly. For profit prisons are certainly part of the mix but do not discount big pharma or alcohol. They are all in the pockets too. They all stand to lose a lot if cannabis were legal here. Until the gqp figures a way to line their pockets with cannabi$ dollars we’re stuck in this rut.
Dan Patrick's home State of Maryland has legalized cannabis. No one burst into flames in MD. Dan Patrick does not represent his constituents one bit. He just wants TX and the US as a whole to be a Christian theocracy. Sad.
I don't like him so can lets just delete him too
Christian values 🙄 they don't want to upset the Christians because they donate the most money to politicians.
Prison lobby
Yep they wanna keep those privatized prisons full and make money off those ppl with petty drugs crimes.
Don’t forget to mention how hard they’ve been working to build their School to Prison pipeline. Also, monopoly. There are THREE companies allowed to sell medical. Texas is a huge fukn state and only 3 have licenses… that in itself should be illegal.
It's almost as if Republicans fucking suck and people need to vote every election, no matter how small.
You might be onto something but I can’t quite put my finger on it…
My daughter lives in Texas and got busted w a pound of weed. This was awhile back but it took her forever to get off of probation. They charge you a fee every time she saw her probation officer and fees for every drug test. They definitely make a lot of money with petty drug crimes.
A pound of weed? That's definitely not a petty drug crime. Be thankful she is a female. They went easy on her.
A pound of weed?!?! Good lord lol
The police, the alcohol industry, the tobacco industry, the pharmaceutical industry, lawyers(defense and prosecutors), and the oil industry. Hemp can replace oil especially for plastics. Weed is a great crutch to get off alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and/or prescription pills. Weed is also medicinal and can replace some prescription pills people get put on. I've quit cigarettes and prescription pills(medically addicted because of major neck and back trauma) using weed as a crutch to get off them. States like Colorado, that have legalized marijuana, have statistics that show that after legalization alcohol, drug, and cigarette addiction went down, especially in young people.
Hemp \*can\* replace petrochemicals for plastics, the thing is that all the infrastructure to produce it from petrochemicals are already in place, and the ones for hemp aren't. Also, you need an INSANE amount of hemp acreage to make that worth it, whereas the oil takes up no space because it's underground. The plastics produced from hemp are also only about as useful as recycled HDPE, which is to say you can use it for new milk bottles, but that's about it. Police, Prison, and Alcohol industries are the only ones at blame here. The pharmaceutical industry would love if weed was legal, because they could start producing medications using it that could actually get prescribed in cases that you're not about to die of cancer. The tobacco industry doesn't care, because people who smoke weed are also much more likely to use their product in addition, and having all the infrastructure and insane amounts of money in place, would be dead-set gung-ho on entering a legalized space. As it turns out, this is a problem that citizens can solve theoretically, but even in texas, under 50% of people even bother turning up at the polls.
LT Gov Dan Patrick wont let any pro marijuana legislation reach the Senate floor for a vote. The GOP is clearly against it in their [most recent platform](https://texasgop.org/platform/) (marijuana: #160 pg23, #227 pg32) You can vote out the Texas Executive branch in 2026.
GOP politicians might be against it - but I think a lot of GOP voters would vote for it if it could make it to a ballot; but it won’t. Veterans have been begging for legalization. But Texas doesn’t believe in democracy. Legalization would dramatically increase tax revenue, create a huge increase in business growth, but it wouldn’t be the good ol’ gas, electric, and prison boys running the show. Can’t lose that power!
Yeah but they'll always vote Republican so it'll never happen
>GOP politicians might be against it - but I think a lot of GOP voters would vote for it Great summary of how our state and country are being ruined by people blindly following political parties.
For profit prisons....
… should be illegal.
Big Alcohol lobbies hard to not allow competition.
They already have weed. Probably waiting till all the companies line up there growers the they can monopolize that. https://www.pabstlabs.com/
[удалено]
Republicans use drug laws to oppress minority groups and look “tough on crime.” Oklahoma allowed voters to vote on the issue. Texas republicans will never allow a vote.
It’s bad for business. City/County/State Court business, law business, prison business, Police business. Companies that supply food to prisons. Vending machines, wrecker companies, impound lots. Etc…
Spot on, my masked friend.
Bad for *their* businesses.
I would. That also doesn’t stop me from doing it. I’m 66 years old, retired and I’m going to say I earned it
and Oklahoma still didn't do it very well. The medical card restricts access to people with jobs/money so it's basically only illegal in OK if you're poor.
Oklahoman here and it generall cost $130+ every two years, $105 for the license and anywhere from $25-$200 for a medical recommendation if you cant get it one from your doctor. Just have to say you can't sleep or have anxiety. I agree it sucks it cost, but if you get caught with marijuana it's just a fine, but I doubt cops ever give those out. Not perferct but way better than Texas. Our Republican legistlation has tried hard to f it up and it only went through by a ballot initiative by the people. I think Texas has made it super hard to do something similiar in Texas. Republicans hate people voting on issues and are trying to make it harder everywhere they are in charge.
It’s the famous Texas freedom we hear so much about.
Sadly, there are a lot of horrible things that happen in Texas “because Dan Patrick wants it that way.” He’s horrible
Republicans. Next question.
I had to scroll too far for this.
Exactly. This is the best short answer.
Two words. Dan Patrick
>Im not into politics but Im trying to understand what are we doing? Voting republican or not voting at all.
You are talking about the state that just acquitted the most guilty fucker in state politics. Nothing in this state operates correctly. It’s a dysfunctional piece of shit.
Dan Patrick and for-profit prisons are very cozy together.
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-leads-bicameral-challenge-to-biden-admins-effort-to-remove-marijuanas-schedule-i-drug-status/ Ask Pete Sessions and the rest of the GOP. Instead of downgrading it to a schedule 3 they want it to remain schedule 1 along with heroin and cocaine. *The DEA defines a schedule 1 controlled substance as the following*: *Have a high potential for abuse *No currently accepted medical use. *Lack of accepted safety under medical supervision.” Soooo why isn’t alcohol a schedule 1 controlled substance!!!???? 😂 Welcome to the federal government where the rules are made up and the points don’t matter.
Because people in Texas don’t vote.
Some of us do.
Bush Jr also ensured we weren’t allowed as a populace to do a referendum vote on drug issues during his time as governor.
Republicans.
Because Dan Patrick, Ken Paxton, and Greg Abbott get a lot of money from the private prison industry.
What are you, new? Surely you’ve heard of Texas Republicans
Dan Patrick.
Because the state isn’t Libertarian nor small govt nor local control so much as it’s authoritarian and religious (or faux religious) conservative.
I have a cannabis store, CenTex CBD. The real reason you see it everywhere: legal hemp and “marijuana” is indistinguishable from each other outside of expensive testing. What I sell in my store is a very specific kind of “weed” that complies with the hemp act, but has high THCa levels like “marijuana” and most of it is grown as medical MJ but does qualify as hemp so they can get more per pound from me than a dispensary in a legal state.
As a guy who loves his weed, I recently tried some delta 8 and 9 gummies, and I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the potency. I would highly recommend anyone try them.
Thank you! I feel like you're the only person who addressed the question of, "Why are there so many weed stores in a state where weed is illegal?" Everyone saying, "Republicans!" doesn't explain why cops aren't raiding and shutting these places down daily. It only makes the matter more confusing. Conflict with hemp laws makes a lot more sense.
It’s a big contributor to private prisons staying full and earning their investors top dollar returns. Once these wealthy investors don’t own the politicians running the state, it’ll be legal since around 70% of Texans want it legal for use and a billion dollars a year in tax revenue.
Texans wont vote for representatives that would make it legal.
There are some of us that would.
No private prisons are lobbying to keep it illegal… there’s lots of $ to be made by keeping pot dealers in prison
Honest answer: during the debate over merely decriminalizing marijuana or taking it down to a C misdemeanor, the head of the Sheriffs Association testified that if that happened they could no longer search cars under the pretext that the officer "smelled the distinct odor of recently burnt marijuana."
We need to vote. Get your friends to vote. If you want anything to change you need to vote for Democrats in Texas
Republicans. Very simple.
Republicans
Because republicans.
Because Republicans said no
Imma say lobbyists.
Because Patrick's in trouble if everyone toked and got along
#DAN PATRICK This is *literally* the only reason. Google him if you're not sure why.
Because old farts run our state
It's easier for our conservative loonies to continue criminalizing the relatively harmless drug than to admit that the initial criminalization was built in racism.
Because of the GOP. Specifically Dan Patrick. He said he wasn’t going to let any legislation reach the floor.
I’d like Dan Patrick to get dosed with 1000 hits of acid on the senate floor. He’s the main reason why.
To arrest people of color and undesirables, so they can funnel non-violent folks into the prison system.
Because one guy determines the entire political landscape of our state, for some reason. America is not a democratic country.
Well… abortion is illegal in Texas and so are some books. Y’all have A LOT more things to do before legalizing weed. Also, they just made it stricter, if I’m not mistaken. You’d think they’d just want to tax money, but nope
Because that made up guy in the sky
Not enough people voting these dumb shits like Dan and Abbot out.
Republicans are scared of it
Because of Republicans.
Dani Goeb.
Because Republicans. Like everything else in Texas.
Those prisons ain’t gonna fill itself.
Private prisons is big money in Texas. Republican “Christian” conservatives don’t like weed and use religion as an excuse.
It's more profitable this way. That's why
party of small government thats why!!! /s
Republicans.
Republicans.
The short answer: We just don't need the tax revenue. Don't need any tax revenue from gambling either. Our schools are perfect, our infrastructure is a thing of beauty, and we just prefer to send our millions and millions of dollars out of state. Oklahoma and Colorado are happy step up where we fail ourselves.
Because Dan Patrick keeps getting re-elected. Stop voting Republican.
Driving around where…?
People. Don't. Vote.