While some lawmakers are calling for the prohibition of synthetic marijuana derivatives marketed as incense, state Rep. Harold Dutton Jr. (D-Houston) wants to relax penalties on the real deal.

As he has in past sessions, Dutton filed legislation to reduce punishment for possession of relatively small amounts of marijuana. His House Bill 458 would reclassify possession of less than one ounce of marijuana from a Class B Misdemeanor to a Class C Misdemeanor (the same level as a parking ticket).

A Class B Misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of a $2,000 fine and/or six months in jail, while a Class C Misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of a $500 fine. Currently, possession of up to two ounces of marijuana is a Class B Misdemeanor.

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One of the primary reasons for NOT following Europe and the United States by introducing 'degree's of decriminalisation' for cannabis users has always been the governments inability to work out how to recoup the losses legalising cannabis would inevitably manifest upon big lobbying industries such as pharmaceuticals, petroleum and alcohol.

The fact is, as soon as cannabis becomes deregulated (for medical use for instance), the pharmaceutical industry stands to loose billions of pounds in over-the-counter sales of popular pain-killers such as paracetamol and aspirin. And they're not about to take such a loss lying down.

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