Desiree Venable, a Democrat running for a seat in the Texas House, turned in 600 signatures on Monday in support of decriminalizing marijuana in the town of Bastrop, which is about 30 miles outside of Austin. “This petition is an example of true democracy and the power we have as community members to implement legislation that directly affects our wants and needs,” said Venable in a statement, reported KVUE TV. “The criminalization of marijuana strips us of our individual freedoms and diminishes our opportunities to start a career or access higher education. The decriminalization of marijuana …