Political utility is no justification for innocent men and women — who have not violated the rights of other citizens in their ‘crimes’ — to lose days, weeks or years of their lives to incarceration and all its attendant consequences.

Consider these sobering (bad pun) articles and statistics: Over 50 percent of inmates currently in federal prison are there for drug offenses; 46,000 People in State Prisons in the US Whose Most Serious Offense was Drug Possession; or, as Time put it: 39% of prisoners should not be in prison.

It’s important to acknowledge: this country’s record isn’t perfect. We love our city, our state and America, and we want to see the U.S. be the best version of itself. That means shaking off the injustices of the past, as we’ve done before. It’s never easy, but it’s always worth it.

Fortunately, Mystiq isn’t alone (far from it!) in wanting what is right for Houstonians, Texans and Americans. Folks at organizations like NORML are working hard to lobby legislators and lawmakers every day. From NORML’s “About” page:

NORML’s mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults, and to serve as an advocate for consumers to assure they have access to high quality marijuana that is safe, convenient and affordable.

Good people

That’s a mission I think many reasonable people can get on board with.

And, ultimately, these are the reasons we’re proud to serve Houston’s smoking needs. We’re not seedy or shady — our storefronts are brightly lit and our sales floors are welcoming and clean. We don’t operate on the fringes or in the shadows, because we’re proud of what we do.

When we say, “Mystiq is for smokers,” we mean it.